


Sometimes Speed Dating Works

by Depressedstressedlemonzest



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Anxious Aziraphale (Good Omens), Aziraphale Loves Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale is "just enough of a bastard to be worth knowing" (Good Omens), Aziraphale is a Little Shit (Good Omens), Aziraphale is fat get over it, Background Uriel (Supernatural), Caring Aziraphale (Good Omens), Chubby Aziraphale (Good Omens), Crowley Loves Aziraphale (Good Omens), Crowley is a Mess (Good Omens), Crowley is happy, Crowley is nice, Dating, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Genderfluid Crowley (Good Omens), Hastur Being an Asshole (Good Omens), Human Michael (Good Omens), Idiots in Love, Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), Ineffable Idiots (Good Omens), Light Angst, Ligur's Chameleon (Good Omens), M/M, Mentioned Madame Tracy (Good Omens), Multi, Nice Gabriel (Good Omens), No Sex, No Smut, Oblivious Aziraphale (Good Omens), Protective Crowley, Sandalphon Being an Asshole (Good Omens), She/Her Pronouns for Dagon (Good Omens), Soft Aziraphale (Good Omens), Soft Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), Soft Crowley (Good Omens), Speed Dating, They/Them Pronouns for Beelzebub (Good Omens), Ze/Zir Pronouns for Michael, bisexual aziraphale, crowley loves him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:41:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25632232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Depressedstressedlemonzest/pseuds/Depressedstressedlemonzest
Summary: Human AU Speed Dating Event!Who will pair up?Who will fall in love?
Relationships: Anathema Device & Newton Pulsifer, Anathema Device/Newton Pulsifer, Aziraphale & Beelzebub (Good Omens), Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens), Aziraphale & Dagon (Good Omens), Aziraphale & Hastur (Good Omens), Aziraphale & Ligur (Good Omens), Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), Crowley & Gabriel (Good Omens), Crowley & Michael (Good Omens), Crowley & Sandalphon (Good Omens), Crowley & Uriel (Good Omens)
Comments: 88
Kudos: 70
Collections: Good Omens Mini Bang





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Did this as part of the Good Omens Mini- Bang! Art is done by the amazing Leo of @i-do-this-crap fame on tumblr! It was so fun!

Ch.1

Aziraphale sat at the table in the somewhat uncomfortable chair at the hotel event center.

He absentmindedly drew silly designs on the corners and borders of the little notepad and pen he was given and he tried to listen to what the event coordinator was saying as he stood at the podium, big banner saying DATING EVENT hanging up behind him.

"Welcome to The Date is Right! This is our first romance event held by our association, all the money raised this weekend will be for a good cause, a local charity, The Arthur House for Rainbow Youth." The announcer paused a moment for applause.

Aziraphale groaned, he forgot this was a weekend long event, thus being held in the hotel.

He silently cursed his sister Diedre for signing him up for this.

He was perfectly happy. He had his bookshop and that kept him plenty busy thank you very much.

"Now here in a moment we will be starting our first event, the Speed Dating! Later tonight will be drinks and mingling, then tomorrow will have even more fun planned!" The announcer said gleefully.

Aziraphale took out his flip phone and texted Deirdre under the table.

'You are dead. How many events did you sign me up for anyway?'

She was, as always, quick to respond 'everything!'

Aziraphale audibly groaned and shoved the flip phone back in his pocket and listened in to the rest of the announcers words.

"Those of you seated will be the receptors first, then all the migratory participants take turns with each seated participant. The object of this exercise is to test immediate reactions and immediate chemistry. Each migratory member will take turns sitting at each table for two minutes when the timer dings, time is up and you will move onto the next table. If there's a connection, exchange numbers, if there are no hard feelings. This will start with the sound of a bell!" The announcer finished and stepped down from his podium.

Aziraphale sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He wasn't expecting much from this event, but his nosy meddling younger sister was bound and determined to find him a spouse, 'It's just so sad that you're all alone Azi, I know you're lonely. You need to get out there!' He had promised she could sign him up for one of her ideas, though her 'Ideas List' went from speed dating to erotic paint yoga, which was a definite no, and that he would attend and 'make an effort' and then she would leave him alone for the foreseeable future.

He loved his sister, and he knew she meant well. He shook his head slightly to get rid of the beginnings of the nagging angry mean thoughts that were on their way of arriving out of his head. and began to straighten up his table.

He adjusted his notepad around to make it parallel to his pen, but he tore off his doodle sheet and set it aside to use throughout the event.

He wiggled in his chair to try and get more comfortable. The arms on the chair were making it a more uncomfortable sitting experience for his larger-than-average form.

He looked around, not yet hearing the bell, to see if there were any armless chairs around to make the experience more comfortable.

He spied one that was several tables away.

He quickly got up and pulled the chair he had been sitting in with him, as soon as he reached the armless chair the bell rang.

Aziraphale blushed and hastily tried to drag the armless chair to his table before anything else was starting.

Before he returned to his table he heard a loud voice with an interesting speech pattern announcing to the event coordinator "Excuzzze me, there izzz no one at thizzz table!"

Aziraphale turned to see a shorter person standing at his table looking up at the event coordinator at the podium and waving to get their attention. Something they probably had to do frequently being so short in stature.

Aziraphale waved an arm, feeling a blush spread over his face.

"Sorry I am on my way, just needed a different chair," he added sheepishly.

He finished dragging the chair to his table. With a sigh he tugged his sweater vest down and then he and his first partner shook hands and they simultaneously sat.

"Hello, my name is Aziraphale, I er run a bookshop in Soho, I am forty three years old, I am bisexual, use he/him pronouns, i have never been married, no children and i am allergic to cats." Aziraphale rattled off tediously.

"My name iz Bee, formerly Beatrice, I have a honey farm where i raizze beez to harvezzt honey and help pollinate the surrounding areazz, I rezzide in Oxforshire, I prefer the company of men romantically, i uzze they/them prounounzz, I have been married onzze to a wanker who iz unfortunately here. I have no children and I am allergic to dogzzz.' They said, seeming bored and irritated at the same time.

Bee had short black hair with big red lensed sunglasses balancing on their head, their eyes were a nice shade of pale blue,they were wearing a suit with a yellow and black striped tie.

"I like your tie." Aziraphale said with a small smile.

"Thankz, I prefer the longer tiez to bowtiez."

Bee responded with a pointed look to his tartan bowtie.

"To each their own, though I have read that tartan is stylish and is very in right now." Aziraphale said with a smirk.

Bee shrugged, unimpressed. They didn't seem to be hitting it off from Aziraphale's point of view.

"Which one was your spouse? So I know who to avoid wanker wise?" Aziraphale replied with an eyebrow raised and an inconspicuous look around the room.

That earned a smirk from Bee, and they peeked over their shoulder and nodded their head to the side.

"That one there iz the one, the prat with the too fancy suit and purple scarf." Bee said disdainfully.

Aziraphale glanced to where Bee had gestured. The man sitting where they nodded was sitting up with impeccable posture, broad shouldered, head shaped somewhat like a sturdy cardboard box. That could have been the haircut he had affecting his dark hair. He sat at the table with a look of irritation on his face as the man he sat with showed him something on his phone.

"He iz too full of himzelf to have a relazionzip with anyone Elzzz but a mirror. " Bee said with a derisive snort.

"Well that's unfortunate for anyone he happens to talk to today. Is there anyone else you notice that I should avoid?" Aziraphale asked Bee with a smile.

They grinned and looked around sneakily.

"Oi that one over there." They said pointing to a short round man with a balding head, and a slippery grin that showed off a gold tooth.

"He izn't here to date. He iz here to find out who iz not a hetero. And the onez he findz that identify on the queer zpectrum, he tozzez zalt on them and quotez bible verzez," Bee said with a grimace.

"He, I'm sorry, he throws salt at them? And quotes bible verses?" Aziraphale asked incredulously.

"Yez, zayz it'z to help drive out the evil forzez." Bee said, their mouth pulled into a frown.

Just then the timer dinged, indicating the end of the turn.

"Well Bee it was lovely to meet you. If you ever are in SoHo stop by my bookshop and we'll have some tea." Aziraphale said, handing them his number that he scribbled on a scrap of paper.

"It was nize talking to you too Azzziraphale." They said with a small smile as they took the paper and went to the next table.

Aziraphale barely had a moment to take a breath before the next "date” was here.

A tall man with a hastily put on blonde toupee, fingerless gloves, dark colored eyes, and a jumper with a frog knitted onto it.

"Names Hastur, friends call me Stu, I work at the amphibian house at the zoo," he said in a gravelly voice.

"And you don't want to smell like poo." Aziraphale said with a smile, as a means of jokingly segwaying into a conversation.

“What in the bloody hell are you on about? Smelling like poo? You saying I stink?” Hastur growled loudly baring his teeth. Aziraphale swore he could hear someone laughing nearby.

“No no, it was, pardon me,” Aziraphale said with a stammer, pausing to clear his throat.

“I only said that because Stu and Zoo rhymed, and, well you know, poo also rhymes with Stu and zoo, and it was the first thing I could think of, oh I’m terribly sorry old chap I did not mean to offend you in any way.” Aziraphale stammered, trying to deescalate the brimming anger from the other man.

Hastur looked at Aziraphale with an oddly calm expression and took a drink of the glass of brown liquid he had brought with him.

“So, eh, fond of frogs, are you?” Aziraphale asked trying to keep the conversation going and trying to keep it light as well.

“Are you trying to play “Guess the Obvious?” let me guess, you are fond of pastries, are you?” Hastur said with a sneer.

A muscle near Aziraphale’s eye twitched, but he forced a nice smile.

“Yes, quite fond of them, my family used to own a bakery, they specialized in occasion cakes, but my grandfather used to make these delicious blueberry muffins when I was a lad , but after he passed my uncle sold it after several years of slow business. I am the odd duck and chose to run a bookshop instead of opening my own bakery, though I can make scrumptious croquembouche. The secret is the spun sugar netting," Aziraphale babbled trying to will himself not to blush at Hastur’s direct comment aimed at his size.

Hastur grunted in response, crossing his arms over his shirt, covering the frog character to where it looked like it had been run over by a lorry.

The timer dinged through the air, and Hastur made no effort to make his escape secret, he practically hopped to his feet to get to the next table.

Aziraphale pulled out his flip phone to shoot a quick message to Dierde, “You so owe me.” He said with a few added grumpy faced emojis.

He glanced around the room waiting for someone to sit across from him. He didn't see anyone heading his way. He took a moment to appraise the other participants in the event standing and sitting around him.

There was a tall person with chestnut hair up in a mohawk wearing a smart gray pantsuit.

There was the woman that had been transfixed with Bee's ex-husband, she had dark mahogany skin with a splattering of light freckles across her face wearing a red skirt and matching jacket. There of course was Bee and Stu, Bee's ex aka the wanker, then the salt tosser.

Near them was a medium height dark skinned gentleman with a large button on the front of his jacket.

The only other person Aziraphale could see had his back to Aziraphale, he was standing at the edge of the refreshment area where the bartender was. The man was tall and dressed in dark clothes, bringing out the sunset colors of his hair. Aziraphale was intrigued by the color, a mix of oranges and reds, long and wavy, reaching his shoulders like a waterfall of crimson. He seemed to have part of it up in a little bun on his head, and Aziraphale was surprised that the beauty if his hair alone could be tamed at least somewhat.

As if the man felt Aziraphale's eyes on his back his head turned slightly to look towards him. The motion made a lock of his hair gently fall into his face, leaving a wavy lock of color splashed against his complexion.

The slight profile gave a glimpse of a pair of lips curled up in a smirk, or a smile, an arrogant nose holding a pair of dark sunglasses over the man's eyes. A scarlet eyebrow arched up over the lens of the sunglasses.

His lips parted, as he spoke to the bartender, reaching up to put the stray strand of captured sunlight hair back into place.

He reached to get the drink he had ordered and started to turn back towards the event tables.

Aziraphale quickly looked away and noting the continued absence of a new partner he sighed.

He slid his glasses up onto his head for a moment to close his eyes and rub the bridge of his nose. The strong stench of fish wafted through his nostrils and he tried not to gag.

He flashed his eyes opened and adjusted his glasses. A young woman with dark brunette hair looped through a cap on was sitting across from him. She was wearing a blue tshirt underneath a pair of overalls and big fishing waders.

"Ello, name's Daggie, sorry I'm such a sight, I 'ad to do a last minnut 'aul fa work an I got splashed pretty bad 'auling in some 'alibut. But dammit I paid good money to be 'ere an' I'd be a daft fool to waste it." She sputtered in a cockney accent, blushing furiously under the brim of the cap.

"It is quite alright my dear, my name is Aziraphale, where is it you work?" He asked with a gentle smile, trying not to breathe in the scent of fish too heavily.

"I work at Wright Brothers, I'm the unmentioned sisters o the family. Lucky for my brothers I like ta fish instead o waitress. Less posh prats to deal with, including my brothers." She said with a sheepish smile, big blue eyes sparkling.

"Well it's lovely to meet you Daggie, my name is Aziraphale. I own a bookshop in SoHo." Aziraphale said holding a hand out across the small table. Daggie grinned and held her hand out to shake his.

"What brings you to this event?" He asked with a smile trying not to flinch or recoil from her hand, which was a bit grimy and left a dark sludgy substance on his hand.

"The ladies, theydies an i suppose even gentlethem, l identify as pansexual. But I prefer out o tha vast selection o folks, ones oo identify as female, no offense to your gender." She said with a laugh.

"None taken at all dear lady, I wish you the best of luck with that, now what kind of fishing do you usually do?" He asked his posture relaxing a bit.

"I mainly try to get tha freshest fish of tha day for tha restraunt, usually 'alibut, tuna, salmon an tha lot. But when I'm not catching any o them in my nets I will get in there an shuck up some clams an oysters." She said waving her hands excitedly as she talked.

"Oh I love oysters, can't remember the last time I had any, perhaps when I was visiting Rome." Aziraphale tuttered half to himself as he tried to remember.

"Come by the restaurant, on Thursdays I'm in 'ouse more often. I can hook you up with some good oysters that Patty makes," Daggie said with a big genuine smile.

The timer chose that moment to ding.

"I would quite like that, it was lovely to meet you Daggie, and there is a lovely person here you may enjoy the company of, their name is Bee, they are the on with the big red sunglasses," Aziraphale said with a wink.

Daggie smiled and stood walking to the next table, peering around looking for a pair of red sunglasses.

Aziraphale discreetly pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the grime off of his hands before quickly repocketing the handkerchief, just as the chair across from him was being slid out from under the table.

Aziraphale offered his new table mate a friendly handshake, "hello, my name is Aziraphale."

The man joining him slid a dark umber colored hand into Aziraphale's and gave it a small shake and then sat down.

"My name's Ligur." The man said in a deep rumbling voice.

"Nice to meet you." Aziraphale said as he took in the man's appearance. Wearing an olive green jacket with an orange turtleneck underneath, what struck Aziraphale as most interesting about Ligur's outfit was a large button with "Ask me about my" in bold letters followed by a picture of a lizard.

"Um, I guess I am to ask you about your lizard?" Aziraphale asked with an upraised eyebrow, and a little sniffle, he suddenly felt the urge to sneeze.

Ligur gave a lopsided grin and said, "you know even though I'm wearing this, you're the first person to have actually ask me about my lizard."

Aziraphale chuckled, then reached for his handkerchief and sneezed into it three times in quick sequence.

"Oh dear excuse me." He said embarrassed.

"Bless you, and no trouble." Ligur said with a wave of his hand.

He waited a moment for Aziraphale's nose to settle.

"I have a photography business, and my lizard is my main subject. Here," Ligur paused and took his phone out of his pocket and swiped a few times before turning the screen towards Aziraphale.

"this is Ziggy, swipe to the right and you can see more."

Aziraphale inspected the photograph on the phone screen. There appeared to be a chameleon posing on a miniature couch.

Aziraphale's eyebrows stitched together as he continued swiping.

Then his nose tickled again, and he grabbed his handkerchief again and sneezed into it.

"I don't know what's come over me, excuse me please. These are, rather small pieces of furniture." Aziraphale said as he saw similar pictures with Ziggy posing on a small beach chair.

"It's dollhouse furniture. He has his own little closet full of clothing too. I have two other lizards, but he's the fan favorite. I have a show over at Frith Street Gallery and his pieces sell the most. Hans and Domino have a smaller fan base but their pieces sell too." Ligur explained with a big grin.

"My, that is impressive. Do you exclusively only photograph your own lizards? Or do you photograph other animals as well?" Aziraphale asked with a sniff trying to keep from sneezing some more, he was surprised that this seemingly obscure photography piece would be so popular.

"Sometimes I'll go to the zoo to practice with other animals. I can't dress and pose them though. I do see one of my, em, contacts from there." Ligur said nodding towards Stu with a blush on his cheeks and a fond expression in his eyes. Stu, who was getting up from the table he was sitting at, glanced at Ligur as if he could detect when Ligur looked at him and blushed Promptly looking away.

"Yes, we've met, he's a, charming fellow." Aziraphale noted dryly with another sniff.

Ligur laughed, "he can be a horse's arse," he said putting his phone back in his pocket.

Aziraphale smiled and took a sip from his water.

"So Ligur, what brings you to this function?" Aziraphale asked, he had a good feeling about Ligur, he wasn't seemingly a prat, he was interesting, and he was funny. His looks weren't hurting him either.

"Truth be told my brother Vance was sick of me moping about being single. Plus he didn't like the people I've gone with in the past." Ligur said tapping his fingertips on the table.

"Hard to believe a fellow such as yourself is single." Aziraphale said coyly with a slight smile.

"Such as myself?" Ligur asked with a raised ebony eyebrow.

"Well you seem alright, you're interesting, you're good looking." Aziraphale listed out on his fingers.

"Oh, well, thank you," Ligur said seemingly surprised,

"I, er, well, to be honest I have a certain type." Ligur said clearing his throat with a little cough.

"Nothing wrong with having a preference, so long as any rejection comes with kindness." Aziraphale said with a slight nod.

His nose was tickling him again, and he sneezed again into his handkerchief, starting to get frustrated with his nasal passages.

Though he himself didn't have a specific physical preference in a significant other. He knew some people did, as they let him know with their frequent rejections of him for not looking a certain way.

"I do so agree to that. No reason to be cruel to people." Ligur said with a nod.

Aziraphale saw the flash of something in Ligur's eyes and wondered if he also has been cruelly rejected in ways that were unkind based solely on his appearance.

"I do, happen to be attracted to significant others of a more, erm, trim physique." Ligur said rubbing the back of his neck with one hand sheepishly.

Aziraphale waved a hand trying to come off as nonchalant, but still having that all too familiar feeling of embarrassment and slight shame, and said, "it's not something I haven't heard before." He said with an extra cheery voice.

Ligur grimaced a bit, "I'm sorry, you do seem like a nice bloke though. I just..." he said trailing off slightly.

"No matter." Aziraphale said, feeling more sneezes coming on. He pulled his handkerchief out again and sneezed into it a few times before putting it back in his pocket.

"Oh, erm, my basics, since you told me a couple of yours, for work I run a bookshop in Soho, I am forty three years old, use he/him pronouns, i have never been married, no children and i am allergic to cats." Aziraphale said trying to erase the slight awkwardness that had filled the air between them.

Ligur's mouth twitched upwards and he started laughing uproariously, covering his face with his hands.

"Am I missing something?" Aziraphale asked with a sniff, confusion coloring his tone, close to turning into annoyance, he was not a fan of being made a fool.

Ligur tried to stop laughing but to no avail, something had just tickled him so much to be on the verge of tears.

Aziraphale sat there, and crossed his arms, getting more annoyed and angered by the second.

Aziraphale stood up, placing his hands on the table's edge as he snapped,

"I assure you dear boy, that since you said I was not your type physically then we could have had an amicable conversation until the timer went off. Since you can't contain your peals of laughter at my expense and they are deeming you incapacitated..."

Ligur waved a hand, "no no." He said in a strangled voice in between laughs.

Aziraphale raised an eyebrow at him, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ligur tried to contain his giggles as he dug his phone out of his pocket again and swiped around before turning it toward Aziraphale.

Aziraphale sniffed and peered at the phone, on the screen was a photo of Ligur smiling laying on a couch with three cats lounging on him in various forms of relaxed state.

Aziraphale felt a blush stain his cheeks as he sat back down across from Ligur slowly, wishing he could sink into the floor.

"Well that explains the sneezing." Aziraphale muttered. He gave Ligur a sheepish smile,

"I am sorry for that rather harsh scolding. I was taking out twenty years of rejection due to my size out on you. I do apologize." Aziraphale said.

"It's okay, I have gotten the same treatment for other reasons." Ligur dismissed with a wave of his hand.

"I do insist I do something to make up for it. I was practically yelling at you, in public no less." Aziraphale said putting a hand to his forehead to try and wipe the embarrassment from his face.

"Oh," he said brightly grabbing his cell phone out of his pocket, "I know, my friend has a shop near mine in Soho that sells all sorts of things, sometimes they feature local artists work. I can give them your information to contact you on promoting your work in their storefront."

Ligur smiled and at that moment the timer dinged.

Ligur entered his contact information in Aziraphale's phone and passed it back to him.

"It was nice to meet you Aziraphale." He said rising from his seat.

"Nice to meet you as well Ligur." Aziraphale said with a smile.

As Ligur walked to the next table Aziraphale quickly sent a text to his friend and pocketed his phone as he heard the chair across from him began to slide against the floor.

"I did wonder when I would get to meet you." A liquid velvet voice said in a pleased tone.

Aziraphale's eyes glanced up, then his gaze locked with a pair of dark sunglasses.


	2. Ch. 2

Ch. 2

Anthony Crowley stood in a cluster of people waiting to be told what to do.

He surveyed the event room of the hotel, it was done up nice enough. Not quite a "Loney Hearts Last Ditch Effort" vibe, but only a few notches away from that.

He was glad the lighting wasn't too bright. His sunglasses would be able to keep his migraines at bay luckily.

There were nice tables and chairs organized in a line in the middle of the big room, a small stage area where a man stood with a microphone waiting until the clock chimed to start talking. There was a bar, or at least a drink stand at one end, at the other was a table with a silent raffle going on for a television or something.

The clock must have chimed the right time because the announcer cleared his throat.

"Welcome to The Date is Right! This is our first romance event held by our association, all the money raised this weekend will be for a good cause, a local charity, The Arthur House for Rainbow Youth." The announcer paused a moment for applause.

The people milling about him started to clap, as well as the people seated. Crowley did hear a groan from the middle of the room.

He grinned, finally someone to share his sentiment. He wasn't entirely against this event, but his friend Eric swore that this would be the perfect place to find love.

Eric meets one lady at a Comicon speed dating event and he thinks he knows everything. Newt was dressed as Harry Potter, and she was dressed as Luna Lovegood, it was practically a match made in Nerd Heaven.

"Now here in a moment we will be starting our first event, the speed dating! Later tonight will be drinks and mingling, then tomorrow will have even more fun planned!" The announcer said gleefully.

Crowley wished he could get some drinks now. Nothing like a good bottle of anything drinkable to get him through this embarrassing event.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other and caught his reflection in one of the mirrors scattered in the room, he looked like a goth/punk peacock. He had stupidly let Eric help him pick out an outfit. It was a mix of clothes he usually wore and a mix of an old Halloween costume he wore one year when he dressed as Freddie Mercury.

"To show you like to have fun and to show off your bum, which is a good ass-et." Eric had said tossing the tight black leather trousers to Crowley with a laugh, the day he helped raid his closet.

He had forgotten how tight the pants were, they were affecting his gait, making him saunter more than just walk. He was still able to move so he guessed they could be tighter he mused with a half grin. His dark red silk button up thankfully wasn't so tight as to make him look like a male prostitute.

He put his fists in his black jacket, to keep himself from fiddling with his hair, like he usually did when he was nervous. He had finally just pulled part of it up into a half bun to keep it from falling in his face repeatedly through the night.

Why in the bloody hell had he signed up for this?

"Those of you seated will be the receptors first, then all the migratory participants take turns with each seated participant. The object of this exercise is to test immediate reactions and immediate chemistry. Each migratory member will take turns sitting at each table for two minutes when the timer dings, time is up and you will move on to the next table. If theres a connection, exchange numbers, if there isn't no hard feelings. This will start with the sound of a bell!"

The announcer finished and stepped down from his podium.

Crowley surveyed the group of people sitting down. Not a bad looking bunch, he surmised as his gaze surveyed them all, his gaze flickering over everyone for a moment. There were people in seats already, the rest milling about making conversations with each other.

Some movement caught his eye and Crowley turned his head more, and watched as one man stood from his table, he had a fussy look on his face, as if he was displeased with something. The man looked up at the stage for a moment, his head cocked to the side, a conflicting expression on his face. Then he raised a shoulder shrugging to himself and he picked up the chair he had been sitting in and started carrying it.

Crowley stifled a laugh, the man had looked so serious before deciding to move the chair, as if he had been contemplating the dichotomy of good and evil. Crowley watched carefully as the man carried the chair over by another and exchanged it. His brow furrowed, curious, he tried to see a difference in chairs as to why the man would want to switch.

As Crowley examined the chairs the bell dinged for the event to start. As the man spoke with someone standing by the table he had been at with red sunglasses, Crowley realized the chair that the man had swapped out for, did not have arms, whereas the one he had had did have arms on the side.

Ah, Crowley thought, studying the bloke. Arms on the side of a chair would be uncomfortable for him, Crowley didn't have that issue, but Crowley was all jagged elbows, and knees. Points and edges, sharp corners and acute angles.

Not him, he was all soft belly and thighs, curves and swoops, gentle waves, and rolling arches. Crowley wondered suddenly how soft all those swoops and waves would be to nestle against.

Crowley shook his head and continued to watch as the man's round face held a tinge of pink to it as he finally reached his table and sat in the chair he had brought with him. Crowley watched as the man tugged his tan sweater vest down over the swooping curve of his belly and then he extended a plump soft hand, and he and his first partner shook hands and sat.

Crowley was enamored, as he gazed at the man he noticed the curls of his blonde hair, how they danced with every little movement of his head, and shone in the light, making the color the shade of gold.

Even from here he could see that behind his little pair of glasses, that the man had eyes as blue as any breed of delphimium. They shone like a pair of stars, twinkling with mirth, clear to Crowley even on the other side of the room.

"Sir? Sir?" Anthony blinked a couple times as one of the event coordinators stood at his side.

"What?" Anthony asked, feeling a blush creep across his cheeks.

He didn't want to seem like a peeping tom, even though it was daylight, and everyone was dressed.

"Please take a seat at any table." She said with a smile.

Crowley glanced at the tables and tried to see where there was an empty spot.

He scurried over to the only empty chair he could see and quickly sat down.

"Hullo." He mumbled as he twisted and turned trying to see if he could see the blonde bloke from here.

"Salutations." His table mate said.

Deeming that he couldn't see the blonde fussy man from here, Crowley turned to face his date with a little droop to his shoulders.

Across from him sat a person with dark chestnut hair cropped short on the sides, almost completely buzzed away, with curly locks on top teased in the center going upwards. The front of zir hair was falling forwards letting a single curl in zir face. wearing a smart gray pansuit with a creamy yellow button up shirt.

"My name is Miche." Zir said offering a thin hand to him, pronouncing the name like quiche.

Crowley raised an eyebrow at the name and held out a hand.

"Anthony Crowley, er Anthony. I don't have a preference in what you call me." He offered falling over his words as if he had slipped down the stairs.

"I am in the process of getting a name change." Ze explained with a nervous smile, her eyes a dark gray color, like an overcast sky.

"Oh?" Crowley asked raising an eyebrow.

"I was given the name Michelle at birth but, I don't feel like a Michelle. Don't feel like a Michael either. Both are very, definitive of their gender, but since I am agender, I think Miche fits perfectly. " ze explained gently.

Crowley studied zir face as ze spoke. Zir eyes were big and cloudy gray, outlined in dark eyeliner, shimmery eyeshadow painted on the lids. Thinly manicured eyebrows made zir eyes appear even bigger. Ze had a thin nose that upturned slightly, and a permanent crinkle in between zir eyes.

"Well it's nice to meet you Miche." Crowley said with a slight smile.

Miche smiled, "likewise. So Crowley, what brings you here?" Ze asked.

"Well, my roommate Eric said he met his girlfriend at one of these things, and that basically I'm a huge loser if I can't find a boyfriend here." Crowley said with a laugh.

Miche laughed covering zir mouth with zir hand.

"Well I'm looking for a boyfriend too." Miche said a slight blush creeping into zir cheeks.

"Well tell me a little about yourself. " Crowley said, leaning back in his chair a bit, tilting on the back two legs, maybe also sneaking a peek around the room at this angle for the blonde bloke.

As he leaned and craned his neck a bit, he could see him. He was smiling and laughing at his tablemate. Something pierced Crowley's heart when he saw that face molded into such mirth. At that moment Crowley would do anything to make him smile like that, laugh like that.

Gravity suddenly hit him full force as he tipped back a bit farther and the chair slid out from under him and he landed on his back.

"Oh my goodness are you okay?" Miche asked concerned, leaning over the table to peer at Crowley.

"Mmm yep yep just fine." Crowley said wishing the floor would open up and let him sink through the flame retardant carpet.

After a moment of letting his lungs reinflate and his blush lighten he scrambled to get back up. Luckily blondie didn't seem to have seen Crowley's acrobatics. He sheepishly sat back in his chair and this time kept all four legs on the ground.

"Um now you were saying you like cats?" Crowley asked Miche while raking his finger through the strands of hair trailing into his face.

Miche raised an eyebrow a moment before continuing.

"Er yes, I like cats, I was thinking of going to the animal shelter to get one after this weekend." Miche said with a small smile.

"I'm working on keeping my houseplants alive before upgrading to an animal. Is there any particular cat you got your eye on?" Crowley asked smiling.

Miche's smile grew and ze pulled out zir phone and tapped and swiped before turning the phone to face Crowley. On the screen was a picture of a fat one eyed gray and black cat, it had a pink nose and the eye it did have was big and green.

"They named him Arges after one of the workmen of Hephaestus." Miche said with fondness.

"He's a cutie, such a chonk." Crowley said with a whine of adoration of the chunky cat.

The timer chose that moment to ding.

"Here," Miche said, handing Crowley a scrap of paper with a number on it.

"In case you wanna visit me and Arges sometime." Miche said with a smile.

Crowley grinned in return and walked with his hitchy hips to the next table. As he walked to the next spot that he was to sit in he glanced over at the blonde bloke’s table again, he didn’t have anyone sitting with him yet, Crowley could just go over there and proclaim that he was the most beautiful creature that Crowley had ever laid eyes on now.

Crowley hesitated at his next seat and looked back over at blondie, gaging whether he could sprint to the free spot there. But he was too late, someone else had come to sit down. Crowley’s eyes overlooked the man standing with an obvious toupee and looked at blondie. He was smiling nervously, his forehead wrinkling where his eyebrows knitted together, a cute little line of nerves that displayed themselves. Just as clearly, the little lines around his eyes crinkled when he smiled, and Crowley had the urge to make the man smile every moment of every day so he could see those crinkles and kiss each one.

“Are you going to sit down or not?” He heard a voice near his ear ask.

Crowley jumped and whipped his head to the side where his apparent tablemate smirked and went to sit back in her chair.

He felt a blush creep on his face, and he pulled his chair out and sat in it with an unceremonious thump.

“Bout time.” She said with a half-smile and half snarl on her face, her thick lips pulled halfway up.

“Sorry, I was, er, thought I saw someone I knew.” Crowley said, embarrassed.

“Well, since you’re so distracted already, do we need to proceed, or should I just let you run off to your boyfriend with the bowtie?” She asked with some bite to her tone.

If Crowley hadn’t been blushing before he was absolutely crimson now, his face almost as red as his hair.

“I said sorry.” He mumbled to the woman.

“Well, what shall we talk about then, since you are obviously already head over heels for me?” she asked with a smirk.

“What’s your name?” Crowley asked, finally looking up at her face with his full attention.

She had a gold colored lipstick shimmering on her lips, drawing more attention to them. The lipstick, besides bringing attention to her lips, also brought out the color of her freckles more. She had a spatter of light-colored freckles on her face decorating her mahogany skin, as if someone had dipped their hand in gold glitter and placed a hand on her. They were in a pattern going diagonally down from one eye to the curve of her chin on the opposite side of the eye that was glittering.

“You’re absolutely gorgeous.” Crowley said genuinely.

“Thank you, you’re quite attractive yourself, even if you are a bit dense.” She said with a cocked eyebrow and each word enunciated clearly as if they had been carved by a knife.

“Why thank you.” Crowley said with a sarcastic smile.

“What’s with the dark glasses?” She asked, giving a pointed look to the shades balanced on Crowley’s nose.

“What’s with the hoop earrings?” Crowley asked back with a wave of his hand.

She fingered one of the large gold hoops with that comment and smiled, “My grandmother gave them to me, said they’re good luck. Said that she met my grandpa wearing them.” Her voice softened when she offered this sweet bit of information. It sounded low and calming with the feeling of being wrapped in a warm sweater.

“I get migraines with bright light.” Crowley said lamely.

She laughed at that, throwing her head back and showing off her white teeth.

“I’m Uriel,” she said holding out a hand.

“Anthony Crowley.” He said sliding his hand into hers and giving it a small shake.

“Well, although I don’t think we are a good match, it’s still nice to meet you Anthony.” Uriel said.

“For all you know I could be your future husband.” Crowley said with a laugh.

“I don’t think my future husband would be too busy looking at another man upon first meeting me.” Uriel said as she flattened her red skirt over her lap.

“Touché.” Crowley said with a nod.“I love that color on you, not that you know, you’re asking or wanting my opinion.” He added looking at how lovely her skin came out with the red from her matching skirt and jacket.

“Thank you, you, er, have a nice shade of black on.” She said scrambling for a compliment to return to him, as she ran a hand over her buzzed hair.

An eruption from a few tables away stole their attention.

“What in the bloody hell are you on about? Smelling like poo? You saying I stink?” the gravelly voice shouted.

Crowley barked a laugh before looking who was yelling.

When he saw it was the man with the toupee yelling at the beautiful blonde bloke. Crowley’s laugh caught in his throat as he bared his teeth and assessed the situation, the man with the toupee was almost shaking in anger, he had a red flush on his face, and he was glowering at the cherubic face of the blonde bloke.

Crowley could see the seated man's lips moving but couldn't hear what he was saying, but based on the look on his face it was an apology. His face looked nervous and earnest and embarrassed all at the same time. Whatever he said must have been acceptable because the other man looked at him coolly and took a drink of his brandy. The blonde bloke chuckled at something and the one wearing the hideous toupee snapped with a sneer on his face, “Are you trying to play “Guess the Obvious”” Let me guess, you are fond of pastries, are you?”

Crowley growled under his breath and stood up from his chair to go kick that guy in the arse. “Condescending twat,” Crowley muttered as he took a step towards the blonde bloke, and even though he had a smile still plastered on his face, he could see the tenseness in his eyes.

“That’s no way to be getting his attention you know.” Crowley heard behind him.

He had promptly forgotten about Uriel the second he realized that blondie may have been in any kind of predicament.

“What do you mean?” Crowley asked turning towards her raising an eyebrow.

“Making a big scene in front of everyone kicking that guy’s arse is not the way to get his attention, that would just embarrass him further.” She said with a pointed look at Crowley’s previously occupied chair.

Crowley looked at her, then turned and looked back at blondie, the situation now seemed to be in control, and him and the other bloke were silently sitting and drinking from their glasses.

With a small huff Crowley came and sat back at the table.

“See, now that wasn’t so hard was it?” Uriel asked with a smirk.

“But you heard what roadkill for hair said to him, hell the whole bloody event heard it.” Crowley said, throwing his arms up in frustration.

“Yes, but he handled it. Bringing more attention to it would just make another scene he would most likely want to avoid. So, don’t swoop in to play the dark knight of Wessex in shining obsidian armor, just wait you’ll get to talk to him before the day is done with.” Uriel explained simply for him.

The timer dinged and Crowley gave Uriel one more look, nodding at her, before getting up from the table and looking to head to his next stop. He just needed to bide his time before talking to the beautiful blonde bloke.

He saw two empty seats, one was where the blonde bloke sat, nervously looking at the crowd of people in his chair, pulling out his flip phone and texting someone. His mouth moving along with what he was typing, his brow furrowed.

Sitting at the next table a shorter looking man with a mustard brown suit on, he had a look on his face as if he had just sucked a lemon. His eyes were shifting over the crowd, a look of disgust blatant in the curl of his lips.

Crowley sighed, and glanced back at the blonde bloke's table. He was still sitting alone. Crowley decided he needed a drink, bide some time. If no one came to sit with the blonde bloke while he got a drink then he would go to him next.

He strode across the room to the bartender, he was busy with another customer so Crowley stood patiently and looked at the drink menu, nothing really looked drinkable, but for a comped bar he wasnt going to complain much.

"What'll you have?" The bartender asked him gruffly.

Crowley's eyes raked the menu again and then looked at the other drinks people had gotten.

"One of those, with an umbrella please." He said pointing to a blue margarita that someone was sipping on.

The bartender went to work and Crowley turned slightly, feeling eyes on him.

He tucked a strand of hair that had escaped his bun back behind his ear and looked around his sunglasses lenses to see who was boring holes into his back.

As he turned he saw the blonde bloke look away quickly and blush.

Crowley smiled to himself, glad that he wasn't the only one looking at the other.

The bartender handed him his margarita and Crowley turned. The blonde bloke was still sitting alone. Crowley took a breath and then headed toward the empty seat at his table.

As he walked over the noise of the crowd was drowning into the background, the lights were dimming except the one right over blondie. As he got closer he smiled.

Then someone ran past him, leaving the scent of fish and seaweed behind and slunk into the chair that Crowley had been heading for. He growled to himself as the noise reemerged and the lights brightened the whole room back up.

He made his way to the man with the mustard colored suit and the lemon sucking face.

“Hullo.” Crowley said as he sat down in the chair across from the man.

“Salutations.” The man said with a strident tone, overlaid sickly sweet like rotten honey.

“How’s it going here for you?” Crowley asked him, this part of the process was always awkward at first. At least from this angle he could see the blonde bloke at the table with his date.

“Oh, it’s going quite well indeed.” The man said with a smile that bordered on being a sneer.

“Good, right then, well my name is Anthony.” Crowley said reaching a hand across the table to the man.

His table mate sat and looked pointedly at Crowley’s hand and had a look of thinly veiled disgust and let it hang there in midair as he did not extend his own and ignored the handshake.

“O-kay, well what’s your name then?”

Crowley said taking his hand back.

“Sandalphon, Sylvester Sandalphon.” The man said with a smug curl to his lip, showing off a gold tooth.

“Right, er, what are you looking for here Sylvester?” Crowley asked as he leaned back a bit in a relaxed position, his fingers knitting together to cup the back of his head gently.

“It all depends, mostly righteousness.” Sandalphon said with a look of sincerity.

“Ah, come again?” Crowley said as he raised an eyebrow.

“It’s simple Anthony, there are people here that are going against the Lord, that are acting in such a way that it is practically pornographic.” Sylvester said with a disgusted sneer as his mold colored eyes gazed over the crowd around them.

“Ah, I don’t follow, don’t even watch pornography myself so I wouldn’t really know how people would act in a pornographic way.” Anthony said trying to keep the smirk of mischief off his face.

“It’s very simple here Anthony, some of these people are here to find a mate, not to marry, but to fornicate with. And some people here, are wanting to be mated with, to fornicate with, someone that is the same sex as themselves. Completely against the Lord and His teachings.” Sylvester said in disgust as he gestured to a table.

Crowley's gaze followed to the table with the bad toupee guy, and a man wearing an orange sweater and a big button with “Ask me about my lizard” on it, they were sitting there across from each other looking absolutely smitten.

“Yeah so?” Crowley asked with a hint of irritation in his voice, he did not like what this guy was implying or where this conversation was going.

“So, it is against God and His teachings, as he said at Sodom and Gomorra, men shall not lay with other men, and women shall not lay with other women it is an abomination.” Sylvester said, his voice rising with the apparent anger that one gets in their bones when they are wildly unhappy and lonely in life and detest anyone with love or happiness around them.

“Ah, but you’re forgetting a big bit in the Bible that She said.” Anthony said secretively.

“What passage did you find? I have been scouring the holy works for more passages against the despicable acts.” Sylvester said leaning closer to Crowley.

Crowley looked at Sylvester Sandalphon closely. The man seemed every bit of villainous as the words he was spitting, bald head that was lumpy shaped, like a deformed ball of clay that someone had started making into a paperweight and then became uninterested halfway through shaping it.

His smile was like an Emmett Kelly painting that someone had left in the sun too long and was melting off the canvas, and someone tried to restore it later. Not genuine, very much an act, and that gold tooth made it seem even more fake than it really was.

His eyes though, something about his eyes made Crowley uneasy. They were green like algae in a dirty pond, a thick green that choked off any wildlife that tried to make the pond their home.

“The big bit in that Bible, that She, that God said, was to be kind to one another, and to love one another as She has loved us.” Crowley staged whispered across the table to Sandalphon.

Sandalphon sneered at Crowley, his gold tooth glinting in the lights from the ballroom, his face turning a shade of red, a vein began to show at the top of his bald head.

“Also, people love who they’re gonna love, and She is completely okay with that. She just wants us to be happy here on the little mudball that She made. She doesn’t want us suffering alone, She would rather us be with someone we love, no matter what, than alone.” Crowley said, his voice boiling with agitation over the ignorance the other man was spewing.

“Double also, I happen to like men, very much, always have since I was a tot in diapers, and I like to wear dresses sometimes. That doesn’t make me evil, doesn’t make anyone else evil either. Loving someone that is like them or someone wanting to be their authentic selves is not an evil act. Best you get that fact into your head now before someone, less inclined to be civil than me, spray paints your car.” Crowley said crossing his arms over his chest and sitting back in his chair.

Sylvester’s sneer twitched into one of malice, and he reached into his pocket and threw a handful of something at Crowley.

Crowley raised an eyebrow, wasn’t sure what hit him, not like getting hit with a paintball, it felt more like little fine crystals piling into his hair and on his shirt, some sprinkled into his lap and some was on the table in front of him, some even got into his drink.

He peered closely at the tabletop and saw that whatever he threw was a grainy white powder, he licked his finger clean of it.

“Is this salt? You’re throwing salt at me?” Crowley asked trying to keep his voice from breaking into laughter.

“Salt to cleanse your soul of your disgusting blasphemous ways.” Sandalphon said in an angry growl.

Crowley looked around the room and wondered how many other people this idiot had spat his cruelty towards.

He caught the eye of one of the event moderators who had been eyeing their table reproachfully, he nodded toward the table and they began making their way to them.

“Is there anything you two are needing?” The man asked pleasantly, his smile painted with a red tint of lipstick.

“This despicable, disgraceful, disgusting man has been a blatant hotspot of satanic activity and homosexual exploitation.” Sandalphon accused pointing a finger at Crowley.

The moderator looked from Sandalphon to Crowley, “one of those?” He asked in a tone that suggested he knew exactly what was going on.

“Yep.” Crowley said.

“Sir, when you sign up for the events you sign an agreement that states you will not speak maliciously towards any other guests. That means no racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic comments. I am going to have to ask you to leave, and if you don’t, I’m going to have to make security escort you out.” The man said with a stern pull to his painted lips.

Sandalphon sneered at the man and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I will not be moved from the ways of the Lord’s message.” He said smartly.

“That’s what I was hoping you would say.” The moderator said with a grin. He looked towards a set of doors and waved a couple of people doing security towards them.

“Shadwell, Tracy, this man is in blatant disregard of our Kindness Agreement. Would you mind showing him the way out?” The man asked the two security officers that arrived.

“Wouldn’t mind that at all.” The man, presumably Shadwell said to the moderator in a thick Scottish accent.

Sandalphon quickly appraised Tracy and Shadwell Crowley took a moment to gaze them up and down as well.

They were both wearing the standard gray button ups with red piping along the seams, and tan slacks and black shoes, topped off with shiny gold badges and nametags.

Tracy was a nice-looking older woman with red/blonde hair and scarlet lips. She was practically a wisp of a woman, barely came to Shadwell’s shoulders.

Shadwell was an older man who had a wild mane of thick gray hair on his head, and a thick beard. He was taller than Tracy, but shorter than Crowley, and he had a thick barreled chest, looking every part of a security officer should.

Crowley raised an eyebrow at them, trying to imagine them having to forcibly remove someone. Sandalphon, apparently thought the same thing because he stayed seated in his chair, hands clasped together over his belly, gold rings shining in the light like his tooth. A slippery sneer on his face.

“Come on love, stand up so you don’t make a scene.” Tracy said sweetly.

“I shall not be moved.” Sandalphon spat out at her.

“Oh, the hard way.” She said with a tsk.

Tracy reached up and pinched Sandalphon’s ear, and turned her wrist with a twist. At a cry out from Sandalphon Tracy said, “Now come on dear, don’t cause a scene,” she said pulling Sandalphon up out of his chair.

Sandalphon quickly stood up, whimpering at his ear being pierced by Tracy’s sharp bright pink fingernails.

“Now dear, we didn’t invite you here to be rude to these people, why did you have to go and start such a fuss?” Tracy asked as she led the way away from the table with Sandalphon whimpering behind her.

Shadwell followed suit laughing as they went.

"She's up to high doh, You're a wee scunner, Whit's fur ye'll no go past ye.” Shadwell spat out as he followed the sniveling Sandalphon and Tracy.

Crowley chuckled to himself and sat back in the chair relaxing against the back of it.

As he idlily sipped at his now saltier margarita, he gazed at the blonde bloke, having a clear view he was able to see the glorious way his entire face lit up when he smiled.

Crowley wondered how well he was hitting it off with the woman he was sitting with, though he didn’t wish sadness on the blonde bloke, he did wish that he wasn’t hitting it off enough to ask her for a date later on. He had fallen for him already, and he hasn't even spoken to him yet.

Just the way the light was hitting him, made him look ethereal. The smile he was giving to the woman he was sitting with was one of complete kindness and sincerity.

All Anthony could think about, was how much of a gift it would be to be smiled at like that, by that fellow. He wasn’t even the recipient of this smile and he felt such a warmth spreading through him, that he was afraid he was going to have a temperature, or that his appendix was secretly about to burst, or his heart.

He rested his elbow on the table and cupped his pointed chin in his hand and gazed at the man, drinking him all in. His blonde curls were a golden shade that made any daffodil or sunflower cry in shame from their dull shades of pale yellow. Thick and fluffing around his head like a halo of curls,

His face was pleasantly plump, sweet and rounded with a pink blush dabbing at the apples of his cheeks, a soft gentle fold at his chin that molded into a tender extra amount of flesh that was just earnestly adorable.

Anthony studied the man’s face as closely as he could, he had intricate lines etched into his forehead and corners of his eyes that gave his face a definition of kindness and sweetness. The gentle lines at the corners of his eyes told stories of laughter and fondness, a life full of happy moments that brought smiles to his beautiful face. The lines decorating his forehead showed times of worry that permanently left a faint and gentle reminder of those times. Anthony wanted to kiss each little etching in his skin tenderly and sweetly, place them with love with every soft touch of his lips.

He watched as the blonde bloke's mouth curved around his teeth to form a smile, to form words, to form a laugh. Like petals from a rose, pretty pink and plump, looked as soft as a rose petal too. Crowley wanted to test that softness against his own lips, wanted to see if their looks were deceitful or if they were as genuinely plush as they looked.

The timer buzzed overhead, and Crowley rose wanting to head over to the gorgeous man that all his attention had been stuck on all day. Before he could reach the now empty chair at the table with the blonde bloke, the man that he had seen with the “Ask Me About My Lizard” button had sat down across from him. Crowley groaned and then swiveled around to try and find an empty chair of someone who he had not yet had a date with.

The only two empty seats now were with Uriel, but he saw Miche heading that way, and he smiled. Then he turned his head and headed toward the next empty seat.

At the table there was a broad-shouldered man sitting in a Gucci slate gray suit with a purple cashmere scarf hanging around his neck. He looked like prat, had a face that looked too smug for his own good, and just had an aura of superiority. Which Anthony already didn’t like, but he still was biding his time before he could finally meet blondie.

“Hi.” Anthony said sitting down across from the prat looking man, extending a hand.

“Greetings, I am Gabriel, I am forty one, I enjoy pina coladas, I am the CFO at an accounting firm here in town, I compete in archery in my spare time. I also enjoy running, and spending time in the gym, usually swimming to build up a good cardio workout. I am primarily interested in women, but am open to maybe a date with the right man as long as he enjoys similar things as I do. “ the man said giving Crowley a firm handshake as he sat down.

“Archery eh? That’s a pretty interesting hobby to have, especially here in London.” Crowley said tying to hide how impressed he was that the stuffy looking man across from him had a hobby other than passing judgement on others.

“My nickname is The Archangel.” Gabriel said with a deep chuckle. Anthony laughed with him and propped his elbows on the table.

“My name is Anthony, I am forty four, I enjoy getting caught in the rain, I am not into yoga, I am a photographer, and I like stargazing at night, sometimes baking but it depends on the day. I am interested in men, particularly one man that is here that I haven’t bloody gotten to have a date with yet.” Crowley said growling out the last half of his introduction.

Gabriel’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

“Which man? Perhaps I have had a date with him and can tell you more about him before you do get to meet him.” Gabriel said sincerely.

“Ah, that would be rather nice of you.” Crowley said raising an eyebrow, somewhat suspicious of the nice motives behind the offer.

“Not a problem at all, and perhaps if you have had a date with my ex-wife you can tell me about it?” Gabriel quipped.

“Of course of course.” Anthony said with a laugh.

“Now which man has your interests so tied up that you can only focus on him and no one else?” Gabriel asked with a laugh as he turned to goose-neck the room.

Anthony also goose-necked around looking to see if he could see blondie from this particular spot.

“Ugh, I can’t see him from here.” He said with a sigh.

“Well describe him then.” Gabriel replied.

“Beautiful, utterly beautiful, he er, has curly blonde hair, that shines like a golden halo, he has glasses on, he is very soft looking. He is wearing a sweater and a bowtie.” Crowley said blushing at the way he said ‘bowtie’ like it was the most glorious trait someone could have about their persons.

“Ah, yes I see him. I assume that by soft looking you mean he is rather fat yes?” Gabriel asked with a tone that suggested that he found that particular trait unattractive in a person.

“Yes, fat and round and utterly perfect, have you been on a date with him today?” Anthony asked, his teeth clicking to warn Gabriel to watch his fucking mouth If he said one repugnant thing about being fat Anthony would strangle him with his own stupid scarf.

Gabriel shook his head no, “No I haven’t.” He said simply.

Anthony relaxed slightly, glad he wouldn’t have to be arrested for assault today, he let his shoulders lower from his ears and his teeth unclench.

“What about you, have you been on a date with my ex wife?” Gabriel asked Crowley nodding in the direction of the table next to them.

Crowley glanced over and saw Uriel sitting with a short person with a head of black inky hair and a pair of big red sunglasses on top.

“No, I haven’t.” Crowley said looking back at Gabriel.

Gabriel clicked his tongue, “Shame.” He said.

Anthony pointed a finger at Gabriel and waved it around, “What’s your angle with your ex anyway? Are you trying to win her back or are you just possessive?” he asked.

Gabriel held up a flat palm as if to tell Crowley to stop.

“I am not possessive, I do want her back, but we ended in such a, displeasing way. Words were said, and, I wish to amend some of them. If she wants to come back after that, then great. If she doesn’t then that’s okay too." He paused.

"I met a nice lady at my work, and if things with Bee do not work out, then I know that I can move on without any guilt. Without any worries that it could have been different had certain things had been taken back or not said at all. So I’m going to lay all my cards out on the table and see what happens from there. What card she decides to take.” He explained.

Crowley looked at Gabriel’s face, his eyes were a almost purple shade of blue, but the light in them was, dull. Crowley didn’t think he could trust what Gabriel was saying, not really anyway.

“Well, that is a noble thing I suppose.” Crowley said with a shrug.

Gabriel gave a small smile.

“Well, what to talk about now, since we both are really only here for one person, and that’s about it?” Crowley asked with a laugh.

“hmm, pornography?” Gabriel said with a serious smile.

Anthony choked on his spit in surprise, and Gabriel laughed.

“I’m just kidding.” He admitted with a chuckle.

“I would hope so, geez, pornography really.” Anthony said laughing with Gabriel this round.

“Hmm, well we could talk about…” Gabriel started before getting cut off by the sound of a chair scraping back.

Gabriel and Anthony’s heads swiveled toward the noise, Anthony’s heartbeat went a bit faster as he saw the blonde bloke standing at the table he had been on at date at, with the lizard guy.

“I assure you dear boy, that since you said I was not your type physically then we could have had an amicable conversation until the timer went off. Since you can’t contain your peals of laughter at my expense and they are deeming you incapacitated…” The blonde bloke was snapping in an upraised voice, his face was etched with hurt, and it pierced Crowley’s chest like a knife.

Anthony stood from his seat, prepared to comfort him as much or as little as he needed from him, prepared to tell off lizard man and kick his arse, prepared to hold blondie in his arms and hold him, comfort him if he needed reassurance that he was bloody gorgeous and that he was someone’s physical type, if they wanted to be that is. And who cares what some wanker wearing a lizard button says anyway.

Lizard man was laughing, and he waved a hand at blondie, “no no.” Lizard guy said between laughs.

Blondie’s eyebrow shot up and he crossed his arms over his chest.

Lizard guy dug his cellphone out of his pocket and swiped a bit before turning the screen towards blondie. Whatever was on the screen caused blondie to blush and sit back across from lizard guy.

Anthony looked at the exchange closely to make sure he didn’t need to intervene before he sat back down at his own table. Once he did Gabriel looked at him and clapped his hands lightly.

“Commendable Anthony, very good.” He said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Dunno if it’s really commendable.” Crowley said with a shrug and a blush.

“Fighting for love, is commendable.” Gabriel said with all seriousness.

The timer dinged around them

“it was good to meet you, good luck with your ex.” Anthony said quickly as he jumped out of his chair.

“Same, good luck with wooing him.” Gabriel said with a laugh as he remained seated.

Crowley practically ran to the table with the blonde bloke, he took a moment to look at him, and calm his heart, before sitting down, his gaze was not focused, and he was busy sending a text message on a flip phone. The fact that he had a flip phone made Crowley smile warmly.

Once his heart rate wasn’t speeding at 200 beats per minute, he cleared his throat and pulled the chair out from across blondie and sat down carefully in the seat.

“I did wonder when I would get to meet you.” He uttered tremulously, his voice giving away his excitement.

Blondie looked up, and Crowley died.


	3. Ch. 3

Ch. 3

The man that had uttered those words in such a delightfully decadent tone was pulling out a chair to sit across from Aziraphale, he seemed to have this nervous energy and seemed to be bouncing up and down a bit, possibly even vibrating as he went to sit.

Unfortunately, either his equilibrium or nervous energy threw him off the target of the chair to sit in and he missed the chair and plopped right onto the floor.

“Oh, my, are you alright?” Aziraphale asked standing up a bit to go help the man off of the floor.

“Yep yep I’m alright, all good down here thanks. May just stay down here it’s so bloody comfortable here on the flame-retardant carpet.” The man groaned in a voice that was filled with embarrassment.

Aziraphale went from his seat and flitted to the other side of the table, bending down to help the man off the floor.

Upon arrival the man was laying on his back, his arms and legs sprawled around like a rag doll that had been tossed against a wall. The man’s hair was a bit mussed; a splay of red and orange flames decorated the floor in spirals. The sunglasses he had been wearing had been knocked off of his face with the fall, as the man sat up Aziraphale kneeled down and reached to retrieve them for the man, as his plump hand reached for them, the other man’s slender hand gently covered his own.

Aziraphale looked up surprised at the touch, and he was eye to eye with the red-haired man, and all breath was knocked out of his lungs. The sunglasses had been hiding a pair of stunning large hazel eyes that resembled the light shade of honey, delicately set in his face. They were highlighted by the gentle crow’s feet that edged the corners of his eyes, and the thick lashes that framed them.

The red-haired man’s breath hitched slightly, and Aziraphale sighed gently. His hand still under the warmth gentle touch of his, not wanting to pull his hand away, not wanting to move from this spot. He didn’t want to break any enchantment that he was feeling in this moment, didn’t want to break this moment at all. Just that simple, accidental touch sent waves of electricity through his fingers and up his arm. He felt such a strong sensation, just by this small touch and it felt good.

“H-here are your sunglasses.” He said wrapping his fingers around the sunglasses, after finally getting his wits about him when he was getting more pain waves from kneeling through his body than happy electrical zings through touching hands.

“Er, thanks.” The red-haired man whispered as his hand fell palm open to hold them as Aziraphale handed them off.

Aziraphale stood up an extended a hand to help hoist the other man off the floor. The other man hastily slipped the sunglasses back on over his eyes and reached up for Aziraphale’s hand. Since Aziraphale was the one offering a hand he wasn’t surprised this time when the tingling sensation went through him again. Up through the fingertips and through his arms, pulsating like a heartbeat, a slow one that had a million volts going through it.

So the red-haired man wouldn’t think he was strange for just holding his hand while he stayed on the floor, Aziraphale gently pulled him up, promptly making the other man jump upright and almost slamming into Aziraphale.

“Sorry, I uh, I forget my own strength sometimes.” Aziraphale murmured sheepishly.

“Apparently.” The other man agreed with a half-smile.

“Let me get the chair for you this time.” Aziraphale muttered as he pulled the chair out for the red-haired man so he could sit down and not end up a puddle of limbs and red hair on the floor.

The red-haired man chuckled and sat in the chair and leaned back as Aziraphale pushed the chair in under the table for him.

“Thank you.” The red-haired man cooed gently.

Aziraphale smiled and went to sit in the chair he had previously been occupying sitting across from the red-haired man.

“Now, before my, er, fall, and I suppose now also, I was wondering when I would finally get to meet you.” The red-haired man gushed with a slight blush painting his cheeks.

“You, you were wondering when you would get to meet me?” Aziraphale asked, his voice not quite a squeak, but very close.

“Yes, you’ve had so many suitors all morning, and I’ve been waiting for my turn all day, but now I can finally say hello, and get the name of the most gorgeous being here.” The man uttered in a low gentle voice raising an eyebrow, his blush still not completely faded from his cheeks.

Aziraphale was struck silent, the man had been waiting for his turn with, him, all day? Aziraphale’s eyes went wide, and his cheeks began to redden.

The man’s face changed into a look of pure earnestness, “Maybe I should slow down, don’t want to go too fast. Though I want you to know I have been eager to meet you, and I do find you gorgeous. But let’s start over.” The words tumbled out of his mouth like boxes down a flight of stairs, clumsy and quickly, his mouth twisting into a half cringe.

“Hello, my name is Anthony Crowley.” He continued holding a slender hand across the table to Aziraphale.

“Anthony?” Aziraphale asked, as if he couldn’t comprehend the name, that the beautiful red haired man he had seen across the room, and who had apparently been waiting to meet him all day, had a name, and his name was Anthony.

“You don’t like it? You can call me Crowley, Or by my middle name if you want, It’s Janthony.” Anthony stuttered out quickly.

Aziraphale cracked a smile, “Janthony?” He asked incredulously.

“Hey, my parents were nothing if not creative.” Anthony countered defensively.

“I guess I am not much one to talk, my name is Aziraphale Easton Eden.” Aziraphale chuckled.

“Yeah no you aren’t much one to talk, are you? With a name like that. Aziraphale Easton Eden” Anthony drew out the words slowly, the name flowing out of his mouth like thick molasses syrup dripping from a bottle.

Aziraphale suddenly wished that his name was ten times longer, so he could keep listening to Anthony say it, again and again, it was almost like a lullaby, the soothing low tone of voice whimsical and melodic.

“So Aziraphale,” Anthony started, “is that a family name?” he asked, saying his name slowly again, tasting each syllable before letting it loose from his tongue.

“I think it was a combination Biblical name and family name, it was my mother’s grandfather’s name and I believe when they named him it was Biblical, from a verse in Genesis that was later omitted. When my mother was pregnant with me, her grandfather died and she had been rather close to him, so that is how I got saddled with that name. Not that I hate it, but growing up it was, er rather simpler to go by Azi. Especially when my younger sister was born, she couldn’t really say Aziraphale until she was at least ten.” Aziraphale prattled, he clamped his lips together when he realized how much he had spouted off to Anthony just then. Too much information, too much at once, he thought to himself, he was going to be overloaded with information from the start and be overwhelmed.

“So, you’ve got a younger sister eh? I have a younger brother named Justin Time Crowley.” Anthony admitted with a laugh.

“Justin Time Crowley?” Aziraphale asked with a laugh.

Anthony started laughing too, a rolling bark of a laugh, “Yeah, my mum had gone into labor and they got stuck in a traffic jam on the London Orbitol Motorway. She barely made it to the hospital before my brother came, and hence the name.” he explained with a wave of his hand.

“Justin Time.” Aziraphale concluded with a laugh.

“Almost as funny as Anthony Janthony.” Anthony said with a smile, dimples popping out in his cheeks, his head cocking to the side. Aziraphale longed to run his thumb across the little happy divots in his cheeks, they looked utterly beautiful and soft. They proved evidence of his joy, and Aziraphale wanted to make him feel joy and laughter as much as he could, as long as he could see those dimples, he was golden.

“Yes, how did that name come to be?” Aziraphale asked coming back to the conversation, forcing a bit of laughter, as he leaned back in his chair and knitted his hands together and rested his hands on his belly.

“Lord, this is embarrassing.” Anthony groaned covering his face with his hands, Aziraphale did not want that sight to be taken away from him, this man was the loveliest person that Aziraphale had set his eyes on before.

“Come on now, it can’t be that bad.” Aziraphale teased smiling .

“You can say that, your unconventional name came from a beloved family member. Mine came from a pregnancy craving.” Anthony accused pointing at Aziraphale.

“What?” Aziraphale asked bewilderedly with a laugh.

“Yeah, yeah, so get this. My mum is pregnant, waddling like a penguin everywhere, and she could barely keep anything down when she was pregnant. Sometimes rice would be able to stay down, sometimes crackers. Like really bland stuff yeah? And she was so mad that that was all she could keep down and she would get so angry at my dad. So, one business trip of my dad’s was in America, in San Antonio, Texas, and she was hungry, and he was hungry, but the only means of food they had was the gift card to this restaurant that my dad’s boss gave everyone at the meeting. So, my dad takes her there preparing entirely for her to not eat anything, or worst-case scenario puke her guts out. And instead she eats like a Viking back from three months of pillaging, and she keeps it all down. The name of that restaurant was J. Anthony’s Seafood Restaurant.” Anthony admitted with a groan,

Aziraphale burst into laughter, shortly followed by Anthony. Their laughter almost being disruptive of the other tables around them. Aziraphale covered his mouth with a hand keeping the giggles quieter. Anthony’s face was almost as red as his hair he was laughing so hard.

“That is a ridiculous story.” Aziraphale chortled.

“I swear it is true, every bit of it.” Anthony exclaimed reaching in his pocket and producing his phone.

“We go there for my birthday every year, because my parents like to rub things like that in.” Anthony smiled turning the screen towards Aziraphale.

Aziraphale adjusted his glasses and peered at the cell phone screen, it revealed a photograph of Anthony with his little brother and parents in front of a blue and white tall pointed building with a ship painted on the side. In the photo they were each wearing a black child’s pirate hat.

"Is that a tattoo?" Aziraphale asked squinting at the screen.

Anthony chuckled and reached up and tucked some of his hair back to reveal a little coiled snake on the side of his face by his temple.

"Got it as an angsty teenager, felt like shedding out of my own skin because I wasn't very comfortable with myself back then." He said tracing the little serpent with a finger.

"Ah, and now?" Aziraphale inquired looking at the tattoo, red and black danced in swirls against his skin.

"I'm quite comfortable in myself." Anthony said with a smile.

Aziraphale gazed at him a moment before blinking back and looking at the phone again.

“This is precious.” Aziraphale said handing the phone back to Anthony.

“They have good oysters there which is what my mum and I usually get, they even have cake options for dessert, but not like a full cake.” Anthony chuckled.

“Oysters are remarkably delicious if they are prepared correctly.” Aziraphale’s voice tinged with longing, it had been awhile since he had had oysters.

Anthony laughed again, “So, Aziraphale, have you been having any luck here today with what you were looking for?” Anthony asked, his tone a little shaky.

“Um, it’s a bit hard to tell so soon. And yourself?” Aziraphale asked Anthony, his heart speeding up for some reason, he wasn’t sure why his heartbeat would be speeding up, or his nerves jittering about.

“I, er, I have met someone today that I would like to see outside of this place, in a romantic way.” Anthony admitted, a blush immediately staining his cheeks crimson.

“That’s lovely.” Aziraphale declared flatly, his heart sinking slightly. Anthony had already met someone who he was smitten with, and the tingles and zings that Aziraphale had felt when their hands had touched must have been just him being flustered with someone so gorgeous.

“Excuse me everyone.” Everyone’s heads turned to the makeshift stage as one of the moderators stood with a microphone waving.

“The speed dating part of the event is over. After a break, we will have our Drinks and Mingling section of the event. If you would all like to go to your rooms, or really just anywhere out of here so we can set up, and then come back that would be great.” She chirped cheerily into the microphone.

Everyone around them shuffled up from their seats and headed out of the ballroom.

“Well, did you get a room here?” Anthony asked Aziraphale, both still sitting in their seats.

“I did, and yourself?” Aziraphale asked Anthony.

“I did, what would you say to popping over to the bistro on Poland to get a spot of lunch? Hotel food is not the most appetizing I’m afraid, and I am starving, and I know their food is really good.” Anthony stuttered out running a hand through his hair.

In doing so he caught his hand in the little bun. Anthony huffed and pulled the hair tie out and slipped it on his wrist and ran his fingers through his hair to unmuss it.

“That sounds quite nice actually, I am rather famished myself.” Aziraphale said trying not to gape at the mane of red curls that tumbled down from the undone bun.

Anthony flashed a smile at him and hit the table and stood up “Right then, let’s go.” He babbled practically leaping from his chair and held an elbow out to Aziraphale.

Aziraphale chuckled and stood up and linked his arm with Anthony’s as they headed out of the event room.


	4. Ch. 4

Ch. 4

Anthony, now walking arm in arm with Aziraphale, was a sauntering bundle of nerves. The most beautiful man he had ever laid eyes on was now walking with him, HIS ARM LINKED WITH HIS, and they were GOING TO EAT LUNCH TOGETHER. He was going to get the chance to sit with him and talk with him and just gaze at him stupidly while he probably thought he had some screws loose.

As they walked down the street to the bistro, he tried not to faun over Aziraphale too much, as Aziraphale talked about something Anthony was relishing the softness of his arm, the crook of his elbow, how gentle a touch he had. Anthony looked at Aziraphale’s face, trying not to be a simpering idiot, but also wanting to study the details of his face.

“Anthony watch where you’re going!” Aziraphale exclaimed suddenly as he pulled Anthony closer to himself to prevent him from walking into the path of someone riding a bicycle on the sidewalk.

“Are your sunglasses blocking everything out? Or just the sun?” Aziraphale asked teasingly with a blonde eyebrow raised.

Anthony could barely gather his thoughts because of how Aziraphale had pulled him closer so protectively, pulling him against his soft form, plush and warm and making him suddenly feel so safe, as if he never had to worry about anything ever again.

The tendrils of his cologne swirling into his nostrils gently, hints of cedar mixed with centifolia rose with notes of cumin, olibanum, cedar, musk, and amber, the different hints of fragrance swirling into his senses made him think of an old comfortable cottage surrounded by flowers and books.

“Anthony?” Aziraphale prompted again, pulling Anthony out of his daydream of a cottage by the sea.

“Er, I’m sorry what?” Anthony asked, still enveloped in Aziraphale’s embrace, nestled tightly against him, Aziraphale’s strong arm wrapped around him. Aziraphale chuckled and loosened his grasp on Anthony and let him stand up on his own accord.

Anthony sheepishly stood upright and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Are you alright Anthony? That velocipede did come quite close to hitting you.” Aziraphale fretted wringing his hands together.

“Velocipede?” Anthony asked with a laugh.

“The bicycle.” Aziraphale said with an eye roll.

“I’m alright, luckily enough I had a guardian angel walking with me.” He said raising his sunglasses up to wink at Aziraphale.

Aziraphale’s cheeks stained pink and he smiled.

“Let’s carry on then angel, don’t want to miss the drinks and mingling that they have planned for us soon.” Anthony said offering the crook of his elbow back to Aziraphale.

Aziraphale smiled warmly at the nickname and relinked his arm in Anthony’s as they continued to walk to the bistro.

Anthony opened the door for Aziraphale and followed him into the building.

As they approached the hostess podium, the smells of the bistro filling the air with scents of a warmer place, of chili powder, paprika, cumin, roasted jalapenos, and fried tortillas.

“Oh, my I daresay the aromas here are wonderful.” Aziraphale admitted as the smells hit his senses.

“I love this place; I didn’t think to ask if Mexican cuisine was okay.” Anthony admitted.

“Oh no bother at all dear boy, I enjoy many different types of cuisine, Mexican included. Honestly there aren’t many that I don’t like.” Aziraphale said with another blush tinting his cheeks. Anthony wasn’t sure why the blush lingered on Aziraphale’s lovely round cheeks, but he enjoyed seeing the delicate stains linger, they were almost the same shade of pink as a petunia.

“Welcome to Corazon Taqueria, seating for two?” The hostess asked with a smile.

“Yes please.” Anthony said with a grin aimed at her. She blushed magnificently and ducked her head down with a smile.

“Is a booth okay?” She asked grabbing two menus and sets of silverware.

“That’s fi-“

“Actually, may we have a table please?” Aziraphale interrupted Anthony as he slipped his arm out of the crook of Anthony’s and gave a downward tug to his sweater.

“I’m afraid we only have one table free, but it's a rather large one, we usually seat more than one couple at it. Would dining with two others be okay? At a safe distance of course." The hostess added with a perplexed smile.

Anthony glanced at Aziraphale and remembered the incident with the chair when he first laid eyes on him. He knew without asking that a booth would not be comfortable at all for him with his lovely large soft build, if he could fit it would be a very tight squeeze and he didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable at all. Anthony slipped away from Aziraphale’s side and in one fluid motion was at the hostess’ side.

“Miss, er,” He glanced at her nametag, “Julia, what a lovely name that is, Julia, isn’t there a classification of flower with that name? A beautiful big bloom of dark petals with strands of gold and brown staining the petals? I think so, Julianius Versalious. Fitting name then, for you, you’re like the human incarnation of just such a beautiful flower.” Anthony started, his voice low and practically as smooth as butter. Julia’s brown eyes widened, and her face stained a deep red.

“Miss Julia, this table, now if we were to sit there, prior to the reserved time, and if we were sure to be gone long before the reserved time, and promise not to disturb the people at the other end, that would be possible for us to sit at said table yeah? Especially if we were sure to tip the wait staff and the hostess rather nicely?” Anthony asked glancing at his watch.

“We would be able to be out, and the table cleared off by the reserved time, I promise.” He said taking her hands in his and pushing his sunglasses up onto his forehead, his eyebrows turning up sincerely and his eyes widening.

“Promise.” He said in a near whisper.

Julia did a slow intake of breath softly and closed her eyes a moment as Anthony’s voice purred in her ear closely.

As Aziraphale watched with a curious expression she opened her eyes and smiled at Anthony and Aziraphale and led them both to the available table.

“Thank you so very much Miss Julia,” Anthony whispered serenely as they arrived at the table.

“You are quite welcome, though please do make sure you are finished before the reservation time or I will get into so much trouble.” She said with a nervous glance at the swinging door that Anthony knew led to the manager’s office.

“I promise, we wouldn’t do anything to make you get in trouble with your boss, this position is very obviously very important to you, and we wouldn’t do anything to risk your employment here.” Anthony murmured as they stopped at the table and she turned to look at him, her eyes mesmerized.

“Well you two have a good lunch, your waitress will be here shortly, I’ll tell her you’re at this table, so she doesn’t overlook you.” Julia said quickly and then hurried back to the hostess podium where a line was forming.

Anthony came and pulled the chair out for Aziraphale, no arms he noted as he did so, and he smiled, “Here you go angel.” He murmured as he watched Aziraphale gently sit in the chair. As they sat down at the table they glanced at the other couple at the other end of the table, a young couple was sitting there looking at their menus.

The young lady was wearing her dark curly hair up in a half topknot, a pair of big glasses perched on the end of her nose, freckles spattering along her face. Dark red lips contrasted against her tanned skin shockingly bright. Her clothing however looked as though it was from different eras mixed together. The Industrial Revolution mixed with the romantic Victorian era. The dress was black satin and lace with a full length skirt, The capped sleeves had ruffles along them, the high neck of the cut showed off the sheer bodice with a peacock design in the sheer material along the décolletage , the back was laced up like a corset would be, the skirt had different layers of flouncy material to it that rustled as she crossed one ankle over the other showing off cute velvet purple boots.

The young man she was sitting with had on a white dress shirt and red tie under a blue suit jacket, he had large square framed glasses and a mop of curly black hair that looked like it had been attempted to be gelled into submission. He had a pointed nose and a nervous lip twitch, that kept breaking into a smile each time he looked up at the girl.

He had on red converse all-stars that matched the tie he was wearing, on the back of the chair was a tan overcoat that was dragging on the ground. Both members of the party looked up as Aziraphale sat down and they watched as Anthony sat across from him.

“Hello, we hope you don’t mind, but the hostess seated us here along with you, though we are a safe distance apart. Is that alright with you lot? We can find somewhere else to sit if you’d like.” Anthony sputtered as the pair looked at them with wide eyes, both pairs magnified by the lenses of their glasses.

“No that’s quite alright, at least with me.” The young lady said distractedly with a wave of her hand as she continued to look at the menu. Her bare arms were decorated with different colorful floral tattoos, Anthony noted that she had rhododendrons, delphiniums, and hibiscus flowers decorating them in lovely hues of blue, pink, red.

She seemed to remember she was with someone and looked up at her date who was smiling at her, “Is it alright with you Newton?” She asked.

“Oh of course, fine with me, completely.” Newton said with a blushing brilliantly as she caught him smiling at her.

“Thank you for letting us share your table, my name is Aziraphale.” Aziraphale introduced with a nod towards the younger couple.

“And I’m Anthony.” Anthony echoed an introduction giving a little wave.

“My name is Anathema, and this is Newton.” The young lady said gesturing to herself and the young man she was with.

“But you can call me Newt.” He interjected hesitantly. Her mouth quirked upwards in the corner in a smile at him.

The waitress brought the younger couple the drinks they had ordered and brought menus to Aziraphale and Anthony.

“Pick whatever you’d like angel, what ever your heart desires.” Anthony said giving a little smile and wave at the menu being held in Aziraphale’s plump hands.

“Anything my heart desires eh?” Aziraphale asked raising an eyebrow at Anthony.

Anthony gulped and immediately felt his face burn with a blush as his gaze met Aziraphale’s. They lost each other in their stare for a moment when the sound of glass breaking made them both turn their heads quickly to the younger couple.

“Oh An-An-Anathema I am so sorry, I just don’t, I don’t know what came over me, oh bullocks.” Newt stuttered as he jumped up to give Anathema his napkin, apparently had spilling his drink on her.

“It’s quite alright Newt.” Anathema said, no emotions evident on her face, just a calm look.

“I really am dreadfully sorry, I meant to…” Newt stopped suddenly as his hand waving knocked Anathema’s wineglass over and spilled it onto himself.

“You’d better go wash that out, it’ll stain your clothes.” Anathema said matter-of-factly.

Newt cursed under his breath and strode off to the washrooms. Anthony and Aziraphale glanced at each other over their menus, then in unison glanced at Anathema who was still sitting at the table calmly.

“I’ll be right back angel.” Anthony said as he rose from his chair and quickly followed Newt to the loo. As Anthony hurried behind Newt Aziraphale stayed at the table with Anathema, who was blotting at her dress with a cloth napkin.

“Good thing you were drinking a white wine instead of red, easier to hide it if there’s a stain.” Aziraphale said pointedly gesturing to her dress.

Anathema snorted, “It’s a good thing I’m wearing black too, in case more things get spilled on me.” She said looking towards the loo after Newt.

“He seems quite a besotted young man, couldn’t keep his eyes off of you, blushing like mad. How long have you been together?” He asked with a small smile.

“Actually, this is our first date, my ancient great grandmother knows him from the volunteer work he does at the retirement village she lives at and insisted that we see each other.” Anathema said with a little smile.

“Oh, quite a nice great grandmother then, setting you up with nice young men.” Aziraphale chuckled.

Anathema nodded, “In fact she said “Let the wheel of Fate turn, let hearts enjoin, when the wind bloweth the blossoms, reach out one to another, for the calm will cometh.” Which loosely translates to her telling me to bang him like a Salvation Army drum the first chance I got.” Anathema said with a smirk to the seemingly refined older gentleman.

Aziraphale started to laugh so hard he began to choke on his own saliva. Anathema started to giggle as Aziraphale took a sip of the water at the table.

“I’m sorry.” She said as she reached over and offered him a napkin.

“Oh, it’s quite alright, though that is an interesting statement to come from an elderly woman in a retirement home.” Aziraphale said with a chuckle.

“That’s my grandmother.” Anathema said shrugging.

“She used to do a weekly article in the Tadfield Advertiser, making prophecies about this and that when she was younger. Some came true, some didn’t, but she still makes predictions in her old age. Usually about what kind of pudding the kitchen is going to serve at dinner.” Anathema explained waving a hand.

“I told her that I wanted to at least have a chat with this “lovely young man” before we had sex, she didn’t want to hear it. Luckily he did.” She added with a soft smile.

“Have you enjoyed his company so far?” Aziraphale inquired nosily.

Anathema looked around to make sure Newton wasn’t near.

“He seems a bit of a wozzack, but he is very sweet, he may just be nervous on our first meeting.” She said thoughtfully adding sugar to the insult she just spoke.

“In my experience, the clumsier they are around you, the fonder of you they seem to be.” Aziraphale said remembering Anthony’s graceless arrival at his table.

Anathema grinned from ear to ear showing off a set of dazzling teeth, Azirpahale smiled back at her as he saw a head of red hair strutting back toward the table.

Anthony was only a few steps behind Newton as he followed him into the lavatory, but it was enough time for him to basically soak himself with water at the sink spigot trying to get the wine out of his clothes.

“Don’t do that!” Anthony yelped rushing over to Newt to turn off the water.

“I want to get the wine out before it stains.” Newt said looking bewilderedly at Anthony.

“Yeah but If you do it this way then you’ll look like you’ve weed yourself, and I assume you don’t want to throw off that vibe to anyone, especially the lovely lady out there?” Anthony inquired waggling his eyebrows.

“I guess not, but I can’t finish the date with a big wet stain either, I’ll be sticky and that doesn’t give off a good image either.” Newt said with a frown.

“True, but what I’ve found works wonders when I spill something on myself, especially wine, is this.” Anthony said producing a Stain Pen out of a pocket and holding it up for Newt’s inspection.

“Oh, wow this would come in handy, could I use it?” Newt asked with a relief.

“Sure.” Anthony said tossing it to Newt and watching as he carefully applied the portable stain remover to the wine on his clothes.

“Thank you, she might think me less an idiot now.” Newt said as he scribble scrubbed on his clothes.

“Hopefully but might not happen.” Anthony said with a shrug.

Newt scoffed and continued to apply the stain pen to his clothes.

“How long have you been in love with her?” Anthony asked crossing his arms over his chest.

Newt sputtered and nearly dropped the stain pen, “Wha-why do you think I’m in l-love with her?” He asked stumbling over himself as he spoke.

“Well how clumsy you are around her, and now when I suggest that you’re stuttering like a steam engine that hasn’t been used in years. Plus I get clumsy and addle-brained around Azir-around people I lov-like too.” Anthony said clumsily with a laugh.

Newt blushed and sighed, “Yeah I’m already in love with her, but this is the first time I’ve really seen her or talked to her. Besides pictures I mean.” He added quickly.

“Well it’s okay to be in love with her already, it’s understandable too, she’s pretty. Not that you’re a bad looking bloke yourself.” Anthony clumsily said.

Newt laughed, “Thanks I guess.”

“How’d you two meet anyway?” Anthony asked leaning against one of the walls next to the sinks.

“Her great grandmother set us up, basically on a blind date.” Newt said blushing a brilliant shade of red.

Anthony tried not to laugh, “Her great grandmother set you up?” He parroted back at Newt with w quizzical tone.

“Yes, I work at the retirement home where her great grandmother lives, and she was always going on and on about how we would be a good match, and she convinced Anathema to meet me here.” Newt explained with a smile.

“Well that’s sweet of old granny.” Anthony admitted.

“Yeah, she can be a sweetheart, but she can also be ornery, she told me not to be surprised if Anathema and I have sex tonight.” Newt said as he handed the stain pen back to Anthony.

Anthony sputtered at those words and started to laugh as he pocketed the pen.

“So, she said that you two will have sex on the first day you meet?” Anthony asked with a howl holding his sides as he laughed.

“Yes, she said it’s sure to come true since she wrote it in her book, whatever that means. I only clean the woman’s apartment and give her medicine. Though I do sit and chat with her when I can.” Newt’s puzzled expression made Anthony feel bad for laughing.

“Well first date sex or no first date sex, it’s good that you and An are on a date, you both seem pretty cute together.” Anthony said putting an arm around Newt’s shoulders and steering him towards the exit of the restroom and towards the table where Aziraphale and Anathema were sitting.

Once the two were in sight Anthony felt Newt become a simultaneous bundle of nerves and excited at the same time.

He glanced to Aziraphale and his heart went boom. He smiled easily as his pulse began to quicken, just the sight of that beautiful man made a warmth spread through him down to his very core.

His vision tunneled and all he could see was the ethereal golden plump angel sitting at the table smiling at him as he walked towards him.


	5. Ch. 5

Ch. 5

Newt gave him a nudge with his elbow bringing him back to their surroundings and their actions.

"Oh uh wot?" Anthony asked turning to Newt.

“i said, thanks, and same to you and your date. Nothing wrong with first date sex, and nothing wrong if you don’t get any either.” Newt said with a laugh as they walked towards the table where Aziraphale and Anathema were sitting.

Anthony sputtered and coughed as Newt smirked at him as they arrived at the table and took a seat.

“Oh, dear are you alright?” Aziraphale asked as Anthony sat back down at the table, still coughing.

Anthony took a drink of water and nodded, “Yeah I’m fine, so angel, did you have a chance to look at the menu?” Anthony asked as he opened his and began thumbing through the options with one hand and reached the other over the table to rest gently over Aziraphale’s plump one resting near his plate.

Aziraphale blushed, “I daresay dear boy that if you keep calling me angel people will think we’re together.” Aziraphale whispered the last part secretively.

“As far as people thinking we’re together, what’s wrong with that? I have no problem with it.” Anthony paused a moment, “That is as long as you don’t have a problem with it, if so, I will stop immediately. I don’t want you uncomfortable at all Aziraphale.” He finished gently.

As Anthony said his name Aziraphale felt every molecule in his being melt from the tenderness of how he treated his name, like it was a secret treasured wish whispered to the heavens that no one else was supposed to hear.

“No, I, it doesn’t make me uncomfortable, I don’t mind it, or other’s assumptions if they were to hear it.” Aziraphale murmured in a sotto tone.

Anthony smiled largely and twin stains of red that matched his hair lit up his cheeks.

They sat grinning at each other for a few moments, the noise around them dissipating, the smells evaporating, the only sense they had was the one that let them look at each other, that let them get lost in each other’s gazes. They didn't even realize Newt and Anathema when they had left the table hand in hand.

“Do you two need a minute or do you know what you want?” The waitresses voice startled both of them out of their trance, sounds of dishes clanking and aromas swirling in the air returned abruptly.

“Oh, er sorry, I am still looking,” Anthony said picking up the menu and looked at it closely.

“Dear boy, your menu is upside down.” Aziraphale said with a giggle.

Anthony grumbled to himself and righted the menu and began scanning it to see if there was anything that sounded appealing on the lunch menu.

“How about you sir, do you know what you would like?” The waitress asked turning to Aziraphale.

“Yes please, I would like to order the Camarimagen y Cangrej, and the Oxtail Barabacoa and for the drink a Bleeding Heart please.” Aziraphale said closing his menu and handing it to the waitress when she was done scribbling his order down.

Aziraphale laughed as Anthony started at his drink order, he saw him flip to the drink page and then skimming the description nodded his head in agreement.

“And for you lovey, what would you like?” She asked turning to Anthony.

Aziraphale watched as Anthony took another skim at the menu, a strand of hair threatening to fall in his face, Aziraphale wanted to reach across the table and tuck it gently behind his ear.

“I would like an order of the tortillas chips, salsa and guacamole, with a beef tartare tostada with extra jalapeno.” He said with a smile.

“What to drink love?” the waitress, Reyna asked.

“Hmm, what’s in this one? The Jacked Sangria?” Anthony asked glancing at the cocktail names.

“It has Beaujolais nouveau, reposado tequila, apricot brandy, triple sec, agumiel, berries, and citrus liqueur.” Reyna listed off with a tired smile.

“I’ll take that one please, and could we get a bottle of wine to go?” Anthony asked, lowering his sunglasses just enough to give Aziraphale a little wink.

“Of course, which one would you like?” She asked glancing between the pair of them.

“You pick angel.” Anthony said handing Aziraphale the wine book.

“Oh, hmm, let’s see, how about the Domaine de Triennes?” Aziraphale asked looking up at Anthony.

He smiled in return, “Whatever you’d like angel, anything on there you pick.” he answered with the grin on his face growing.

“Then the Domaine de Triennes please dear lady.” Aziraphale said handing the wine book to Reyna.

“Alright loves, I’ll bring the chips, salsa, and guacamole out with your drinks in just a few shakes after I put your orders in.” Reyna said as she departed from the table side and headed back to the kitchen.

“Excellent choice of wine angel, it sounds lovely. I figured we could maybe share the bottle during the mingling part back at the dating event. Unless that is going too fast, and I’m being too forward.” Anthony stuttered as he waved his hands in the air in front of him. Aziraphale chuckled and clasped his hands over his belly, trying to calm a warm tingling feeling that was growing there.

“Not being forward at all dear boy, it is a ‘mingling’ event, and we would be mingling anyway.” Aziraphale said with the lull of conversation after his laughter had ceased.

Anthony laughed, “Dear boy? I can’t be younger than you!”

Aziraphale smirked, he doubted that Anthony was older than him, he barely looked thirty for Heaven’s sake. Hardly any wrinkles or gray hairs or signs of aging anywhere.

“When’s your birthday?” Aziraphale questioned.

Anthony smirked right back at Aziraphale and said, “September twenty-ninth of seventy-six, I’m a Libra.”

Aziraphale gaped at Anthony, “You ARE older than me! Why is it I look at least a decade older?” He griped crossing his arms over his chest. Anthony burst into laughter, tossing his head back, his shoulders shaking.

“You do not look a decade older than me you numpty. If anything, you look younger than me, I think.” He finally managed to get out between peals of laughter.

“I do not either.” Aziraphale said with a light blush forming across his cheeks.

“You dooo.” Anthony drawled out with his laughter still helping to form the words.

“Well aren’t you a flatterer.” Aziraphale said with a small smile.

Anthony grinned back at Aziraphale and tipped his sunglasses down over his nose, “Aren’t you going to tell me your birthday now young man?” He asked with absolute seriousness.

Aziraphale laughed, “October seventeenth of seventy-seven, I am also a Libra.” He said placing a hand on his chest.

“You know the Earth is supposed to be a Libra too, formed on October twenty-first.” Anthony in a provocative voice pushing his glasses back over his eyes.

“No, I hadn’t heard that.” Aziraphale mused taking a sip of his drink.

The chips and salsa and guacamole arrived in front of Anthony and he pushed them more in the middle of the table, little more on Aziraphale’s side to be quite technical.

“Here angel, have some.” Anthony said with a smile as he took a couple chips from the basket and dipping it in the salsa.

Aziraphale raised an eyebrow at him.

“Wot?” Anthony exclaimed muffled, his mouth full of chips and salsa, a thin hand covering his mouth to hide the half-chewed food from Aziraphale.

“ ‘M not gonna be able to eat them all, ‘sides I want to share with you.” Anthony his tone gently.

“Well, all right then.” Aziraphale said taking a chip and dipping it in the guacamole.

“Here you are gentlemen, enjoy. Miss Julia wanted me to remind you of the reservation as well.” Reyna said with a smile.

Anthony looked towards Julia and nodded to her, then turned to Reyna, “Thank you, this all looks delicious, will you give my compliments to the chef?” He asked gently.

“Why yes sir I will, is there anything else I can get for you?” Reyna asked.

“No, but you could tell me how you like your job, does this place treat you well? If not, I will never come to this establishment again, you have been a most hospitable waitress and you should be earning thousands of dollars a day, if not more.” Anthony sweetly said to her, smiling up at the now red-faced girl.

Aziraphale smiled at how overly polite Anthony was to all the staff they had encountered, that was always, well usually always such a good sign, and it showed how kind he could be to complete strangers, perhaps, that same kindness would extend to someone he was fond of, if not more so.

“They treat me pretty well here yeah, I don’t earn that much no, I’m only here part time, I’m a full-time student over at the university. I’m studying to be a, well, a Teddy Bear and Doll Surgeon.” She said in an embarrassed tone.

“A Teddy Bear and Doll Surgeon?” Aziraphale asked surprised, he was expecting her to say Digital Marketing Executive or something of the sort.

“Yeah, the restoration gallery in Sheffield South Yorkshire, the business that restores old paintings and photographs? They also have people who restore old antique toys, teddy bears, porcelain dolls and such. Ever since I heard of that I wanted to do that, help restore someone’s memories, or their parent’s, or grandparent’s memories, something to bring a bit of the past back.” Reyna explained with a growing smile and a steadier tone as she kept speaking about the profession she was wanting to go into.

“And what kind of degree does one need to be a Teddy Bear and Doll Surgeon?” Anthony asked with genuine curiosity tinging his tone.

Reyna exhaled a sharp bit of air in an almost hiss, “Master of Art Conservation, so you get museum quality restoration skills, they’d also like for people to get an Associate of Fine Arts so you can get a focused study on sewing for the clothing and stitching. I’ve been wanting to do this ever since my nephew Warlock was young and his toys would fall apart from overuse. Now I repair, or even help make new toys and things for him and his little gang of friends to play with. They're so cute they call themselves The Them, he and his best friend Adam are the leaders because they have the exact same birthdays, down to the time and they are the oldest of the kids. They're always bringing me things like sticks and insisting they're swords. Who am I to tell them any different? While I wait for university to be done with, I do this job, as well as run a toy hospital/laboratory out of my parent’s basement.” She said with a laugh.

“I mainly stitch, spray paint, and glue, but it helps bring joy to the kids and that’s what I love about it.” She added thoughtfully.

“That does sound quite lovely. Thank you for indulging all my nosy questions.” Anthony said with a smile.

“Not a problem, if you need anything else please don’t hesitate to ask.” Reyna said with a smile before walking away from their table.

“You are delightfully kind to strangers; I’m surprised that someone as extroverted as you is a part of the dating event.” Aziraphale said, making Anthony slightly choke on the first sip of his drink he was taking.

“I, I may be good at being friendly to people in food service because I’ve worked it and I wanted to get hit by a bus on my way to work every day. Otherwise I am socially inept and don’t talk to anyone but my houseplants all day, and my friend Eric, and my mum. The rest of the time I’m a bumbling wombat of a conversationalist.’ Anthony said with a laugh.

“Surely you talk to people at your work?” Aziraphale asked, surprised that Anthony seemed to be about as bad at making connections as he was.

“Work alone, well I have a wotsit, publicist, but it’s all remote.” Anthony said with a slight wave of his hand, puckering his lips to sip a drink.

“A publicist? What is it you do?” Aziraphale asked, taking a sip of his own drink.

“This is really good by the way, how’s yours?” Anthony asked nodding at Aziraphale.

“Oh it is quite delightful, it’s a nice strong mix of, orange, cinnamon, achiote, and star anise I believe. Plus it has the start of a classic margarita.” Aziraphale described with a smack of his lips to gather all the taste.

“What is achiote?” Anthony asked in a bewildered tone.

“It’s a paste or powder made from ground annatto seeds, it has a peppery aroma, and it has a sweet nutty, and earthy taste to it.” Aziraphale explained as he took another sip.

“How do you know so much about achiote?” Anthony asked with a chuckle.

“I frequent establishments that use it in their cooking and cocktails, obviously.” Aziraphale teased with a smirk.

“Obviously.” Anthony repeated in a mocking tone, but Aziraphale knew it wasn’t a mean mocking tone, more childish and silly.

“Plus, I read it on the little info graphic card that describes all the cocktails in the menu when I picked it out.” Aziraphale said laughing.

“You’re a bastard, anyone ever tell you that?” Anthony asked with a bark of laughter.

“At times, but not recently. That brings me back to your profession, what kind of work do you do?” Aziraphale asked.

Anthony chuckled again before pulling out his cell phone and swiped a few times before landing on an image and turning the phone to show Aziraphale an image of a beautiful gathering of stars, and different swirling tendrils of nebulae. Two shining stars paired together burning eternally in a cosmic dance were the focal point of the photograph, the little name of the photo said 'Alpha Centuri' in the corner

“I’m an Astrophotographer, I’ll go out to the country, where there’s less smog and lights, and I’ll set up and take long exposure shots of the sky at night through my telescope and make art out of them. Around eclipses or big space events like meteor showers they always boom into more popularity than they really are, the last eclipse I got so much business that my friend Eric suggested a publicist to take care of any galleries that called and bugged me and stuff like that.” Anthony said in an embarrassed voice, rubbing the back of his neck with the hand that wasn’t holding the cell phone.

“Oh, my word, Anthony, this is just so breathtaking.” Aziraphale said with awe.

“Thanks, I, I’m a big star and space nerd, figured why not get paid for it?” Anthony replied even more embarrassed than he already was, his face turning a bright crimson, jamming the phone back into his pocket.

“You seem to embarrass easily.” Aziraphale teased as Anthony settled back into his chair.

“I-I do not!” Anthony said embarrassed, his blush spreading down his neck.

“You do, it’s quite endearing.” Aziraphale mumbled flirtatiously, he could tell Anthony was pleased by that comment because he was smiling as he looked away at his drink before taking a sip.

“So, I’ve told you what I do, it’s your turn, what kind of work do you do?” Anthony asked Aziraphale as he popped a tortilla chip with some guacamole into his mouth.

“I own and operate a bookshop in SoHo, A.Z. Fell and Co, I work with mostly antiquities and first editions of books that I collect, repair, and on the rare occasion trade with other dealers.” Aziraphale said proudly, tilting his chin out slightly.

Anthony smiled broadly, “I wondered if you were a librarian or something.” He said cheekily.

“Why is that?” Aziraphale mused.

“You kind of dress like one, fussy and glasses, nothing wrong with the way you’re dressed at all. I think you look quite dapper, maybe a touch old fashioned, but that’s what you’d expect from a librarian.” Anthony stuttered, blushing as he fumbled for the right words that he wanted to say, he didn’t want to insult Aziraphale, but also didn’t want to look like a lovestruck idiot.

“Nothing wrong with being a librarian either, except then you loan out books to people instead of selling them, then people can get their sticky hands on the covers and drop chewed up gum in the pages as they read. It all just boils my tea.” Aziraphale flustered.

Anthony barked a laugh, “I take it you don’t loan or sell any books if you can help it?” He asked.

“No, I don’t like to sell my books either, I just, I love books, I could always be transported to another world when I read, and it always made me so happy.” He explained, his eyes getting a faraway look.

Anthony smiled at Aziraphale, knowing exactly what he meant, about being transported to another world. Especially when he looked at those beautiful blue eyes, he was transported with every glance.

Reyna wordlessly came and brought a second serving of their drinks at that moment, Anthony glanced at his watch and started eating his food, Aziraphale following his lead began to nibble at his food, Anthony caught him being so delicate with his food he wordlessly began to watch him eat, the gently motions, the pristine way he gathered the food with the utensils, the way he slowly chewed every bite.

“Anthony you’re staring at me.” Aziraphale accused as he dabbed his lips gently with a napkin.

Anthony blinked out of his trance and realized he was leaning across the edge of the table, chin balanced in his hand and elbow balanced on the table and he was completely transfixed by Aziraphale just eating.

“S-sorry,” He stuttered out sitting back upright in his chair dropping his hand into his lap.

“Is there a reason you’re staring? Do I have something on my face?” Aziraphale asked dabbing his cheek with his napkin, his voice had a worried tone to it.

“No silly, I was staring because you’re bloody gorgeous and I’m happy to be at lunch with you.” Anthony blurted out.

Aziraphale was taken aback for a moment, and then slowly he smiled and reached a pudgy hand across the table to gently thumb brush Crowley’s hand that was resting on the table.

“I’m happy to be at lunch with you also.” Aziraphale said with a warm smile that lit up his whole face, he left his hand on Anthony’s as he continued to eat his food daintily.

As they sat like that Anthony didn’t want to move an inch, afraid that he would wake up from this dream that he was somehow in. Afraid that any slight movement would scare Aziraphale away, his touch away, his presence away. That any slight movement would make the angel fly back away into the heavens, away from him.

They silently worked on their food and cocktails as they continued to hold hands, the warmth between them like a gentle soothing fire, warm, soothing, and comfortable. But on the inside Anthony was blazing like a raging inferno, the complete irrevocable feelings he had for this man sitting across from him was almost too much for his poor little heart. The alcohol that kept coming was only going to make his lips loose and make him look foolish when he proclaimed true love to this beautiful being before they left the restaurant.

“If we keep this up, plus our bottle that we ordered, then we won’t even need to mingle with anyone else, we’ll be too knockered to move.” Aziraphale said with a laugh, his drink slightly sloshing in his hand.

“Well I wouldn’t call that a bad thing, I only wanted to mingle with you anyway.” Anthony said, then realizing what he said he turned an immediate shade of crimson.

Aziraphale smiled warmly at Anthony, “Our table time is almost up, are you ready to head back?” Aziraphale asked Anthony.

Anthony smiled and caught the eye of Reyna and gestured for the check.

When she brought the check, she also brought the bottle of wine they had ordered, the liquid in the bottle a lovely shade of pink.

Aziraphale reached for his wallet but got waved away by Anthony, who paid with his card, when Reyna came back and they rose to leave, Aziraphale saw Anthony put three hundred pound notes on the table.


	6. Ch. 6

Ch. 6

As they departed the restaurant and walked back to the hotel, they walked clumsily, just tipsy enough to need to grab onto each other for support the entire way.

As they departed the restaurant and walked in the general direction of the hotel, they walked clumsily, just tipsy enough to need to grab onto each other for support the entire way.

“Let’s, let’s take the long way, give us some time to, to sober up a bit, we both seem to be a bit snokered.” Aziraphale suggested with a giggle.

Anthony nodded in agreement and began to steer them towards the park across the street where they could sit and watch the ducks or something until their equilibriums weren’t as off balance. Anthony giggled as he tripped over the curb and almost brought Aziraphale down into the lush grass with him.

“I keep falling angel, you’re supposed to save the fallen, aren’t you? Save me angel!” Anthony said clutching Aziraphale’s thick arm, barely in time to keep from nosediving.

“Angel’s are supposed to thwart the wiles, and lucky for you, I don’t need to thwart anything you’re doing.” Aziraphale said as he led Anthony onto the walking path to keep him on a steadier ground.

As they walked toward the closest bench a tall shirtless man was jogging past, he came very close to Aziraphale and hissed something in his ear as he jogged past.

Aziraphale stood upright swiftly and suddenly, like he had been slapped, Anthony had obviously not heard what the man said, but he did notice Aziraphale’s reaction. He looked at him carefully and he followed as Aziraphale quietly led him to the bench and the pair sat down.

Aziraphale sat straight upright, no longer touching or hanging on Anthony as they had been as they walked to the bench. His face was devoid of emotion as he looked straight forward at the pond, at the ducks on the pond, and his hands were clasped together, fingers nervously tittering.

“Angel?” Anthony asked, he had sobered up quickly once he had sat down and saw the look on Aziraphale’s face.

Aziraphale glanced at Anthony, he was looking at him intently, his head cocked to the side, a strand of hair falling in his face. His face was full of concern and his hands were gripping the edge of the park bench tightly.

“What did he say to you?” Anthony asked him carefully, as he watched Aziraphale’s face closely. He noticed the twitch of his left eye and halting of fidgeting of his hands.

“The jogger? Oh nothing, nothing important.” Aziraphale said nonchalantly, trying to brush the subject away.

“It was something important enough to upset you. What was it? Or do I need to go and kick his arse based on pure principle?” Anthony said standing up and looking around the park for the shirtless jogger.

“Anthony sit down it doesn’t matter.” Aziraphale said firmly.

“The fuck it doesn’t, he said something to upset you and I’m going to beat him til he apologizes.” Anthony said catching a glimpse of the jogger across the pond and making a step in that direction.

“Crowley! Sit down.” Aziraphale scolded sharply.

Anthony looked at him, his expression somewhat hurt, but he sat down.

“It really doesn’t matter what he said, it was an unkind comment about my size, I’m used to comments like that from people, strangers, partners, etcetera. It is nothing you need to get in a scuffle about.” Aziraphale admitted embarrassed, evident by the blush creeping up his neck.

“He wot?!” Anthony yelped, swiveling his head so fast from side to side whiplash was a possibility.

“Anthony Janthony Crowley stop that this instant!” Aziraphale snapped.

Anthony guiltily stopped looking around and looked instead at Aziraphale.

He was still sitting so upright and straight that Anthony’s spine was protesting just looking at his posture, his hands tugging at his sweater vest repeatedly, as if to stretch it away from emphasizing his lovely fat stomach.

Anthony inhaled sharply and reached up with one hand and rested his hand over Aziraphale’s closest hand to still it.

Aziraphale jerked slightly at the touch, but did not brush Anthony away or tell him to stop.

Anthony gently began running his thumb over Aziraphale’s plump hand, over the sweet dimples where his knuckles were, over the extra softness between his thumb and forefinger.

“Angel, I’m sorry, and also fuck that twat. I dunno what he said but I can guess, and whatever he said was wrong as wrong could be. You are completely and utterly gorgeous, exactly as you are right this second. You, no one, should get random insults and comments hurled at them by strangers, let alone partners.” Anthony said gently as he kept rubbing little circles onto Aziraphale’s hand with his thumb.

Aziraphale glanced at Anthony and then he looked down and closed his eyes.

“Thank you.” He said gently.

“And ‘m not, ‘m not saying it just to be kind and counteract what he said. I thought you were the most gorgeous man I’d ever seen when I first laid eyes on you at the hotel.”

Anthony admitted with his face turning a brilliant shade of pink.

Aziraphale didn’t respond right away, his delightfully plump lips opening and closing making a little puckering sound, much like a fish begging at the surface of a pond for food.

Instead of saying anything he gently and wordlessly slid his plump hand out from Anthony’s grasp and looked forward at the pond for a moment.

He noticed a drake, a common pochard in the water swimming with his neck outstretched towards another drake, a wigeon, that was rising out of the water shaking his tail and head as if to get the water out of his ears.

“Do ducks have ears?” Aziraphale mumbled.

“um, what?” Anthony asked, bewildered at the words that chose to come out of Aziraphale’s mouth after that admittance of affection. Aziraphale nodded toward the pond at the pair of drakes acting uncharacteristically, the drakes had swum closer to each other, the one his neck outstretched like he was trying to impress a swan, and the other continuing to shake its tail and head.

Anthony noticed the ducks as well and started to laugh, “They’re flirting with one another, they are both exhibiting signs of flirting, extending the neck,” Anthony paused stretching his neck out as far as it would stretch the quick motion knocking his sunglasses off his face, “is a sign of flirting, as well as shaking the head and tail feathers.” He said raising an eyebrow at Aziraphale, his amber eyes gleaming. Aziraphale smiled shaking his head from side to side and wiggled a bit in his seat.

“Just like that.” Anthony murmured looked intently at Aziraphale, his big liquid honey eyes piercing him deep, making his heart shudder, making his stomach flutter.

Aziraphale turned slightly and reached up with his large hand and cupped Anthony’s face in his, running a thumb along the divot of a dimple in one cheek, his plump fingers lacing through tendrils of soft carmine locks.

“I’ve been wanting to do this since I first saw you smile, saw this dimple pop out, like a daisy popping out of a snowfall.” Aziraphale whispered slowly, tenderly.

Anthony’s dimple deepened as he felt the soft touch of Aziraphale’s thumb against his cheek, the palm of his hand cupped so lightly against him, as if he were made of porcelain, the fingers weaved through his hair forgiving and gentle.

“Angel.” Anthony murmured, his eyes half closing with a flutter of his eyelashes.

Aziraphale’s blue eyes roved over Anthony’s face, taking in every little freckle, every little crinkle of skin. His eyes rested on Anthony’s mouth, and he leaned closer to him, his lips parting ever so slightly, as he pressed them against Anthony’s.

As Aziraphale’s lips pressed against Anthony’s, Anthony felt like he had been submerged into a thick vacuum of space, floating around a dark blue and black sea of darkness, a symphony of stars sprinkled everywhere he could see, bright and beautiful splattered along every peripheral inch. Nebulas swirling around in balls of blue and green tendrils of light. Meteors flying with tails of bright light trailing behind, making the heavens jealous of its purity.

When Aziraphale felt the touch of Anthony’s lips kissing him back his eyes closed, and he saw whirling shades of gold, and blue, and pink, shimmering like they were dusted with starlight. Swirling around him like he had been immerged in the beautiful colors swimming around him.

Their lips parted and they looked at each other, Anthony’s eyes were shining and gleaming, Aziraphale’s eyes were half closed and his lips were still puckered into a gentle kiss.

Aziraphale gently caressed the side of Anthony’s face with his soft fingertips, gracefully trailing them downward from his high cheekbones and dimpled cheek to his slender throat, catching on the lapel of black jacket he was wearing, he clutched it in his hand and gently pulled Anthony closer.

Anthony gravitated against Aziraphale as if gravity had begun to increase and he was being pulled to him magnetically.

He settled against Aziraphale’s soft side, gently sliding one arm up to the back of Aziraphale’s neck and carefully pulling him closer, pressing lips against each other with not a hairsbreadth between them. Anthony snuggling up against Aziraphale’s cushiony torso, relaxing against him, melting into him.

He let the bottle of wine drop into the grass and he lightly brought that hand and trailed it up along Aziraphale’s side. He felt Aziraphale slightly stiffen under his touch before relaxing, resting against Anthony’s hand without any inhibitions. Anthony smiled into the kiss as he felt the softness that was the angel under his palm, as he treaded up and wrapped his hand around his wide form to the small of his back and pulled him closer.


	7. Ch. 7

Ch. 7

QUACKQUACKQUACK

Startled the pair pulled apart from each other and noticed the two ducks from earlier had waddled out of the water stopped right in front of them, looking at them expectantly, as if waiting for breadcrumbs or seeds.

“Bloody ducks.” Anthony muttered under his breath as his hands dropped from Aziraphale’s side and into his own lap.

“Little feathered shits.” Aziraphale growled at the pair of feathery fiends that looked a little too pleased with themselves for breaking up the couple.

“We don’t have anything for you, shoo!” Anthony said standing from the bench and waving the ducks away.

Aziraphale chuckled and retrieved the bottle from its resting spot in the grass and handed it to Anthony.

“I suppose we had better be getting back to the hotel.” He said tentatively.

“Yeah, right, the hotel.” Anthony mumbled as he took the wine from Aziraphale and followed his lead in walking away from the bench and toward the direction of the hotel.

When they arrived back at the hotel and event venue, the room that had previously been set up with multiple tables and bright lights, had now been transformed into something that resembled a medium budget prom, complete with reflection ball and crepe paper dangling from the ceiling.

“Oh, good Lord.” Aziraphale uttered when he saw the new décor.

Anthony just burst into laughter next to him, almost if not more boisterous than before when they realized he was older than Aziraphale.

“I just got some flashbacks of girls wearing pink and blue dresses with poofy sleeves and boys wearing ugly red velvet suits, they are all flooding back to me.” Aziraphale said rubbing his forehead with his thumb and forefinger.

Anthony laughed and dug out his cell phone and swiped a few times until he came to the picture he wanted and showed Aziraphale the screen.

“You wore a dress to prom? That is quite a lovely color on you.” Aziraphale admitted as he peered at the picture on the flat phone screen, Crowley was sporting an emerald green mermaid fitted dress with poofy sleeves, his hair done up in an elaborate style.

“Thanks, I wore it my senior year, because sometimes I like to wear traditionally women’s clothing, but I figured why not go out of high school with a bang wearing what I wanted to wear?” Anthony said with a fond smile at the phone, he was posing with a group of friends in front of a fireplace.

“But yes, those dresses in style in the nineties were horrendous.” Anthony laughed as he tucked the phone back into his pocket.

As the pair stood there a moment, while the other members started to come back into the room muddled around, once the room was full the announcer got back on stage and tapped the mic a couple times.

“Welcome back! Now is the mingling portion of the event, and what better way to mingle than to do so with low lighting, music, and alcohol? The cash bar is open and let the music begin!” He exclaimed before music began in the background.

Aziraphale felt his pulse quicken as everyone began to crowd the area that he and Anthony had been standing to get closer to the bar. All these bodies closing in, the heat of them radiating in the air, the bumping into each other that was occurring, the shuffling.

“I can’t cope with this when I’m drunk.” Aziraphale said pulling back slightly.

“What’s wrong angel?” Anthony asked turning to look at him, a hair falling into his face as he did so.

“This kind of atmosphere, the people crowding around, the dark lighting, it is, not something I am comfortable with. I’m sorry dear boy, I’m going to have to sit this event out. It’s causing me much too much anxiety already. It usually does but the fact that I’ve been drinking doesn’t help. I’m going to head to my room. Thank you for the lovely meal, and for everything else… But, but I’m going to have to go.” Aziraphale said slipping his arm from the crook of Anthony’s elbow and began to retreat back through the double doors and toward the lift.

Anthony stood there a moment staring after Aziraphale, holding the bottle of wine that they had gotten from the restaurant hanging at his side suddenly heavy.

Anthony stood there watching until the lift doors dinged and Aziraphale looked back at him, smiling sadly before getting onto the lift.

Someone suddenly nudged into Anthony’s shoulder, it was the Gabriel guy he had had the speed date with before he got to be with Aziraphale.

“Hey Gabe.” Anthony said nodding at him.

Gabriel gave him a crooked little smile and nodded towards the lift that Aziraphale was still waiting on to go up, Aziraphale’s gaze caught Gabriel’s and Gabriel gave him a tight smile and a short nod.

“Where is your friend going? And what do you have there?” Gabriel asked turning to Anthony.

Anthony looked up at Gabriel and held up the wine bottle for him to inspect more clearly.

“He doesn’t like the crowd being so compacted together, he said he was going to go up to his room.” Anthony said as Gabriel inspected the bottle, stealing a glance at Aziraphale, the lift doors still not closing to take him up.

Gabriel nodded handing the wine bottle back to Anthony and then following Anthony’s gaze to the lift.

He chuckled to himself and turned back to Anthony.

“You should go with him to his room, get to know him better.” He said wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Anthony held up his hands in a stopping motion, “He didn’t invite me up, I don’t want to intrude on his personal space.”

Gabriel shrugged and looked back at Aziraphale, Anthony’s gaze following.

Aziraphale seemed upset about something now, trying to look anywhere but at Anthony, his face red and his hands fluttering around him.

“Wonder what’s got him so upset.” Gabriel muttered.

Anthony looked more intently at Aziraphale before he was interrupted by another approaching person.

“Crowley, are you going to hog Gabriel to yourself all night? Over here flirting in dark corners sharing wine, besides I thought you had your eye on that blonde bloke?” A honey thickened voice said from Anthony’s other side.

Anthony turned and saw Uriel standing there with a flirty smile aimed at Gabriel.

“Wot?” Anthony said choking on his own spit in the process, making himself start a coughing fit.

“I was just watching from across the room and you two are looking awfully cozy over here, smiling at each other and sharing wine.” Uriel said stepping closer to Gabriel, who was looking at her like a cat looking at a canary.

“No, I was just, standing here watching Aziraphale go, and Gabe came over to talk that’s it.” Anthony said throwing his hand up wildly in the air.

Oh shit.

“Was that what it looked like?” He yelped his head swiveling to Uriel.

She nodded; her half-lidded eyes still focused on Gabriel.

“Shit. I gotta go, you two have fun.” He spat out before running towards the lift and pressing the button to summon it.

It was already up to the 5th floor.

“Fuck!” Anthony spat out; he watched the lift dial above the doors slowly go until it stopped on the 7th floor.

“c’mon.” He growled hitting the button again and again. That’s why Aziraphale looked so sad as he was waiting to go up, he though he was flirting, with Gabriel of all people. That sodding Prada twat was nothing compared to Aziraphale, not that Gabe was a bad person, but Aziraphale, god he was an angel.

Finally, after what seemed like an hour, the lift arrived back to Anthony and he stumbled in and pressed the Door Close button repeatedly until it closed and then he assaulted the 7 button until it took him to the 7th floor.


	8. Ch. 8

Ch. 8

As the lift rose, he paced and hopped one foot to the other, it was as if he was playing The Floor is Lava game from childhood, but it was burning off his nervous energy a smidge. Whatever it took to not start freaking out about the most gorgeous angel he had ever seen slipping out of his skinny fingers because of a miscommunication in body languages.

When the lift doors finally opened on the seventh floor Anthony ran out, Aziraphale was nowhere in sight.

He growled to himself and started knocking on the closest door.

A tiny shriveled woman answered, her black beehive wig askew, her eyes peering through blue framed glasses holding a small scruffy thing that’s face looked like it had been knocked in by a door.

“Thank you for taking Mipsy out young man, you’ll get your tip when you bring her back.” She said thrusting the mop of fur into his arms and quickly shutting the door in his face before he could give the dog back. 

“What in the hell?” Anthony grumbled to himself tucking the dog under one arm and holding the wine bottle with that hand.

“I’m not taking you out yet Dog, I have someone to find, maybe after.” He mumbled to the dog as he quickly went to the next door and knocked on it.

Door after door he pounded on with either no one answering, or no one that he was looking for, he was at the end of the hall with no luck in finding Aziraphale.

“Aziraphale!” He shouted from the end of the hall, about to start breaking down all the doors one by one.

“Aziraphale! Where are you?! I can’t find you!” He shouted as he quickly paced up and down the hall, almost running, his tight pants squeezing the will to run out of him though he wanted to.

“For Gods sa-“ He growled tripping over an upturned corner of the rug.

He straightened up and made sure the Dog was back in a steady hold, it wriggled in his arms clearly wanting to escape to go out.

“For Satan’s sa-“ He got cut off this time by a large burly man with a cartoon villain mustache throwing open the door wearing nothing but a towel.

“I AM NOT AZRAPHILL STOP BANGING ON MY DOOR!” He shouted at Crowley who was already two doors away.

“For SOMEBODY’S SAKE!” Crowley shouted as he in quick succession pounded on four doors next to and across from each other.

“Where are you? I can’t find you! AZIRAPHALE!” He shouted pounding on the second door in the hall that he had previously banged on.

He spun around to bang on the next door when the one he was just at swung open.

“CROWLEY!” a fussy voice scolded sharply.

Anthony spun around to see Aziraphale standing at the door, his voluminous form filling the doorway, his eyebrows stitched together angrily, his face a brilliant shade of scarlet, pudgy hands formed into fists resting on his hips, his glasses pushed onto his head, lost in the nest of golden tendrils.

“You are going to wake up everyone!” Aziraphale hissed at him crossing his arms over his chest.

“Aziraphale.” Anthony said, his voice full of longing and pining, so much that it made him cringe inwardly at what a head over heels sap he seemed.

“Yes?” Aziraphale replied curtly.

Anthony stared at him for a moment, taking in all of his beauty. So happy that he had found him he couldn’t move or speak, he didn’t want to jinx himself, he wanted to reach out and touch him, make sure he wasn’t dreaming. His empty hand raising up slowly.

At this point Mipsy started yelping under his arm and wriggling around, making him start to juggle the dog and the bottle of wine, losing his balance and not wanting to drop either, he stumbled toward Aziraphale and practically nosedived toward the floor and summersaulted at the last second landing on his back, holding the dog and the wine bottles up to protect them from harm.

Aziraphale watched in bewilderment as the little tangled mop of a dog was held up in the air yipping and wiggling about, Anthony had since let the wine bottle roll gently out of his hand and he was now gripping the dog with both hands over his head.

“You, are a retched little hellhound Mipsy.” Crowley growled through his teeth at the dog as it looked at him unfazed by his growling statement.

“Why, are you here-“ Aziraphale started before Crowley cut him off, trying to fluidly get to his feet, or at least his knees, but ended up staggering and tumbling some more, landing on his knees in front of Aziraphale holding the little furball up, the wine bottle rolled at Aziraphale’s feet.

“I am here, because I have spent this whole bloody event waiting to meet you, waiting to make you laugh, waiting to hear your voice, gazing at your utter beauty. And I finally got to see you and spend time with you, even got to kiss you, and then you left, and you may have thought when Gabriel came over, that he and I were, but we’re not, I don’t like him at all angel, barely even as an acquaintance. You- you looked so ruddy sad on the lift, and then you saw his stupid face and you may have thought, Uriel thought, and she said it, and I realized how it might have looked for you to see his stupid bloody face by me, and I didn’t want you thinking, I didn’t want us to be, I didn’t want to see you sad angel.” Crowley stuttered out, his voice thick and his eyes threatening tears, he always got teary when he was emotional, no matter it be anger or happiness or sadness, he was a crier.

“You didn’t let me finish, before you interrupted me.” Aziraphale said sternly, like one would scold a child, but he had a gleam in his eyes.

“S-sorry, go ahead.” Crowley said thickly, the tears getting closer to pooling out of his eyes.

“Why are you here, with a dog?” Aziraphale asked, his face breaking out into a smile as he raised an eyebrow looking at Mipsy.

“You really are a bastard you know that?” Crowley asked with a laugh leaning back on his rear from the rocking position he had been on his knees.

Aziraphale chuckled and reached for the dog, picking it up to save it from Crowley’s clumsiness as he lolled about on the floor trying to get all of his limbs to cooperate in standing upright.

“I can say that no one but you has ever said that before.” Aziraphale said as he inspected Mipsy, her flat little face looking like a dirty bundle of socks with all the wrinkles.

Crowley finally got himself standing upright and grabbed up the bottle of wine from it’s spot a few feet away, then silently traded the dog for the wine.

“Where did you even get the dog from?” Aziraphale asked with a chuckle scratching the mangy thing behind an ear.

“The first door I knocked on looking for you apparently thought I was a bellhop and handed me the dog to take out. So, if, if it’s okay, I’m going to go and take it outside for the little old lady, and then I’ll come back and we can, we can share that bottle of wine?” Anthony said it like a question when it was meant to sound like a statement, but Aziraphale smiled and nodded.

Crowley quickly committed Aziraphale’s room number to memory and then took the little dog to the elevator to take it outside.

As Anthony took the dog outside Aziraphale left the hotel room door unlocked carried the wine to the coffee table in the hotel room and began looking for a couple glasses for the pair to drink from, all the hotel had provided unfortunately were little 8 oz Styrofoam cups, better than nothing though.

Aziraphale’s paced around the hotel room, made sure things were cleaned up, dimmed the lights so they wouldn't bother Anthony's eyes, then he went to the bathroom to wash up a bit so he wouldn’t seem so harried.

As he washed his face he tugged at his sweater vest and straightened his bowtie when he heard the door creaking open.

“I’m back angel.” He heard Anthony announce as he walked back into the hotel room.

Aziraphale exited the bathroom and stood in the doorway looking at Anthony, his hair was a bit mussed, but he was still utterly gorgeous.

“That didn’t take long.” Aziraphale mused as he fiddled with the buttons on his sleeve cuffs.

“Mipsy apparently really had to go.” Anthony said with a laugh as he walked into the small hotel area and looked to see where he should sit.

The only sitting spaces were the king-sized bed and the two office-type chairs, unless he felt like sitting on top of the dresser.

“Come sit, I’ll prepare the wine.” Aziraphale suggested.

Anthony nodded and went for one of the office chairs, the one diagonal from the bed.


	9. Ch. 9

Ch. 9

“So, what exactly brought you up here?” Aziraphale asked as he poured the wine into the comical two 8 oz cups and handed one to Anthony, then seated himself on the edge of the foot of the bed, placing the bottle of wine on the small end table.

Anthony didn’t answer at first, he shyly looked at the contents of his cup, his sunglasses hiding his eyes, but his brows were tilted slightly up, and a blush spread across his nose, highlighting a couple little freckles there.

As he waited for an answer Aziraphale swirled the wine a bit in the little cup and sniffed at it delicately, the wine was pale pink in color, and smelled like strawberries, white flowers, and a hint of vanilla.

Deeming it worthy, he took a little sip from it and looked back up at Anthony.

“I, er, well, so when you were headed onto the lift, and you turned and saw Gabriel standing there by me, I didn’t think at first that our body language conveyed anything other than ‘standing next to each other’ but a bit later when Uriel showed up she accused us of flirting, and that was the last thing I was wanting to do. So, you looked a bit upset when you were on the lift before the doors closed, and I didn’t want you being sad about that, if that’s what it also looked like to you. Not that it would make you sad, but it made me sad thinking that it made you sad. And I just wanted to clear that up, that he and I were not flirting at all one bit.” Anthony sputtered out in a long stream of words knitted together by nervous hand flailing.

Aziraphale looked at him for a moment, a bit surprised at his admission, though that is exactly what Aziraphale had thought when he had seen Bee’s ex, Gabriel, next to Anthony, nudging him and smiling at him, and when Anthony handed him the bottle of wine he was almost certain.

“I, I’m not proud to admit it, but that is where my thoughts went when I saw him standing with you, seemingly so familiar with one another that I felt, oh, it was silly, I apologize.” Aziraphale said flustered.

“It’s not silly, your feelings were hurt yeah? You thought I had gone and flirted up a storm with you wooed you with lunch and kissing in the park, and then as soon as Gabe comes over it’s bye bye see you later? I just want you to know that that is not what was happening. I’m, I’m not like that when it comes to people I like. Work with me here, I’m apologizing.” Anthony said firmly but in a gentle voice.

“You have no need to apologize, I assumed something, and it made me look foolish. I shouldn’t have thought those things in the first place, especially not after our rendezvous in the park, but he seemed quite pleased with himself after I walked away from you, and I didn’t think that I would er, be in competition for your affections, not after the park anyway, let alone win a competition for your affections if that were the case. So, I was regretfully but quietly bowing out.” Aziraphale explained clumsily, not wanting to meet Anthony’s gaze.

Anthony chuckled and asked, “Do you know what Gabriel was saying to me as you were waiting in the lift?”

When Aziraphale shook his head no, Anthony reached the small distance between them and grabbed Aziraphale’s pudgy hand in his, “He asked if I had finally gotten to meet the man that I had been fawning all over the entire time I was on the speed date with him.” Anthony explained gently.

Aziraphale blushed a glorious pink color, and he interlocked his fingers with Anthony’s.

“You were fawning over me during your date with him?” Aziraphale asked incredulously.

Anthony chuckled, “I was fawning over you during every date I was on, the moment I saw you exchanging chairs at the beginning of the event I was just smitten with you. I had been trying to get to you and be paired with you every time it was time to switch partners, but someone else always beat me to it. Finally, after waiting, I got paired up with you. And by god and satan if I didn’t make an utter idiot of myself in that first two seconds. But it was worth it because I was finally able to see you close up and not from across a room, finally able to talk with you…” Anthony trailed off.

As he spoke, he ran a thumb along Aziraphale’s hand slowly.

Aziraphale was struck speechless and flustered about before getting any words out, “You, you’ve been enamored with, with me this whole event?” he asked.

Anthony smiled and just brought Aziraphale’s hand up to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss there.

“I must admit that when I first saw you standing at the bar I was quite smitten with you as well.” He admitted with a blush and a smile, trying to hide them he drank his wine and placed the empty cup on the floor by his feet.

Anthony laughed and gave Aziraphale’s hand a squeeze, “If only we had been at all competent and had just forgone the rest of the event when we saw each other, and we would have saved a lot of headache over some bad dates.” Anthony managed to get out between peals of laughter.

They giggled together a moment and then Anthony looked at Aziraphale behind his sunglasses, “Hey angel? Could I come sit next to you on the bed?” he asked.

Aziraphale nodded and scooted over slightly to make more room for Anthony’s lithe frame.

Anthony rose from the office chair, downed the rest of his wine and placed his cup on the little table, and came and sat next to Aziraphale, where Aziraphale sat the bed sunk a bit and Anthony slid into the soft side of the other man.

He rested his head on Aziraphale’s shoulder and sighed happily.

“This is so very nice.” He murmured into Aziraphale’s ear.

Aziraphale chuckled, making his shoulders shake, which in turn made Anthony bounce up and down a bit. Anthony retaliated by wrapping an arm around Aziraphale’s waist and squeezing him tightly in a hug.

Aziraphale smiled and leaned his head onto Anthony’s head and nestled into his silky waves of red and buried a kiss there.

Anthony practically purred with happiness and nestled himself closer against the man he had been daydreaming about all day.

After a few minutes with his head bent at such an angle Anthony straightened up and slowly moved his neck around to get the crick out, then he plopped back onto the bed with an unceremonious plop.

Aziraphale turned and looked at him smiling broadly.

“What?” Anthony asked as he looked at Aziraphale behind the lenses of the sunglasses.

“Nothing, but, er, are the lights low enough for you?” He asked cautiously then added, “may I?” Aziraphale asked adjusting himself on the bed to where he was laying on his side next to Anthony, and then he sat up and gestured towards the sunglasses. Anthony nodded and Aziraphale gingerly took the sunglasses off.

“Your eyes are such a beautiful shade of amber, a color I’ve never seen before, it is so delightful.” Aziraphale said tenderly tracing the side of Anthony’s face with a hand.

Anthony’s eyes widened and he smiled, Aziraphale’s thumb moved downward to Anthony’s bottom lip, and he ran his thumb downward gently along the middle, plumpest part of Anthony’s lip.

“May I?” Aziraphale whispered.

Anthony gulped and nodded.

Aziraphale twisted himself slightly and cupped Anthony’s pointed lower jaw in his hand and placed a kiss on his lips delicately.

As they kissed Anthony reached up and cupped the back of Aziraphale’s head in his hand, his nimble fingers lost in the blonde golden curls, and he used his touch there to simultaneously pull Aziraphale closer to him, and in turn give him leverage to be closer to Aziraphale.

As Anthony reached up to kiss Aziraphale he longed to hold him, embrace him and never let him go, to wrap his long slender arms around his sweet round form and pull him closer. He wanted to get lost in the soft touch of his skin, he wanted to inhale the scents of his cologne until they were no longer drifting around him, he wanted to kiss every little wrinkle by his eyes and mouth, he wanted to stay in his warm embrace forever.

Aziraphale pulled Anthony closer gently, he wanted to touch more of him, to be able to feel each beat his heart took, to listen to every breath go in and out, to hear every little sigh he was sighing against his lips with each kiss. He wanted to trace his tattoo until he knew the design by heart. He wanted to touch all of his form with his fingertips, brush against every freckle, every laugh line. He wanted to hear every laugh that deepened those lines. He wanted to feel and hear everything.

“A-angel,” Anthony stuttered out.

Aziraphale stopped kissing him immediately, “Yes dearest?” He asked, concerned, he didn’t want to overstep any boundaries that Anthony was setting.

“Let me hold you?” Anthony requested, his amber eyes genuine and wide with longing.

Aziraphale smiled and he let Anthony lie back on the bed, and then he gently lied against him, resting his head on his thin chest as Anthony encircled him with his wiry arms and pulled him as close as he could to himself.

Aziraphale rested his ear against his chest, nestled in the center, and he could hear his heart beating, light a quick, like a hummingbird’s. As Anthony breathed in Aziraphale rose and fell with each inhale and exhale.

Anthony hummed in the back of his throat happily as he felt Aziraphale relax in his arms. He brought one hand up and began threading it gently through his curls. The other arm tightened around him, enveloping in softness, his hand resting along a swooping roll under his sweater vest.

“Dearest?” Aziraphale whispered against Anthony’s shirt.

“Mmm?” Anthony replied with a hum, his fingers weaving through Aziraphale’s curls stopping.

“I don’t think I’ll need to be attending any more of the activities the dating event has planned for the weekend, I should send a message to my sister letting her know I only went to one, see if she wants a refund.” Aziraphale warmly, Anthony could feel his smile against his chest.

Anthony chuckled, making Aziraphale bounce slightly and he began to run his fingers through his curls again.

“I reckon that would be a good plan, I don’t think I’ll be needing to go to any more of their planned activities either.” Anthony said pressing a gentle kiss against Aziraphale’s forehead.

Aziraphale smiled and nuzzled his face into Anthony’s chest, relaxing against Anthony’s touch even more his heartbeat lulling Aziraphale into a sweet gentle sleep, and Anthony continued to run his fingers through Aziraphale’s hair until his eyelids heavily closed.

Anthony’s hand fell from Aziraphale’s curls to encircle him closer to himself, even in sleep he was enamored with the angel, even as he drifted off to sleep.


End file.
